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Delhi Winters: Patients Sleep on Streets Near AIIMS
11 Jan
Summary
- Families sleep on streets due to lack of affordable shelter near hospitals.
- Over 7,000 individuals are reportedly sleeping outside Delhi hospitals.
- NGOs warn of hypothermia and illness risks for those exposed.
In Delhi, a significant humanitarian crisis is unfolding as numerous patients and their families face freezing temperatures while seeking medical treatment. Yashodha Kumari, from Jharkhand, exemplifies this struggle, sleeping in a makeshift camp near AIIMS with her infant daughter. Her husband is undergoing treatment for a throat tumor.
Hundreds of others, many from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Bihar, are also forced to sleep outdoors. The situation worsened with recent rains, leaving them with drenched belongings. Available temporary shelters and hospital dormitories are reportedly full, pushing people onto the streets.
The Centre for Holistic Development estimates over 7,800 people are sleeping outside Delhi hospitals, warning of severe health consequences like hypothermia and respiratory illnesses. They have urged the government to provide more temporary shelters to address this urgent crisis.
