MADURAI: Rehabilitation ward for abandoned patients was inaugurated at the Government Rajaji Hospital on Thursday. The dedicated 15-bed ward for patients abandoned by families, has been set up at the hospital days after the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) issued a notice to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) over an incident in which an injured migrant worker from Gujarat who was allegedly shunned by the GRH.
The ward, a first in south Tamil Nadu, is located at ward number 99B (previously ward 99A), in the first floor of Trauma Care Centre (TCC) block of GRH and earlier, the refurbished ward accommodated woman trauma patients.
On Thursday morning, the hospital dean Dr J Sangumani inaugurated the rehabilitation ward, in the presence of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Anna Nagar) Lily Grace and volunteers of Idhayam Trust, an NGO for the homeless.
According to hospital sources, patients who do not have caretakers would be treated at the ward until rehabilitation while the volunteers of Idhayam Trust serve as caretakers during the period of hospitalisation.
Upon recovery, the patients would be shifted to shelter homes or reunited with families, with the help of the police and social welfare department, they added. Notably, for the first time in Tamil Nadu, a rehabilitation ward with 40 beds was unveiled at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai a fortnight ago.