Hyderabad: Shelter homes near hospitals a boon for patients' attendants

Hyderabad: In order to provide shelter for the poor, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) constructed 14 shelter homes within its limits and another seven shelter homes were constructed at the hospitals.

In view of facilitating the poor/ economically backward patients and their attendants coming from other districts, the civic body constructed these shelter homes near hospitals like Osmania General Hospital, NIMS, Nilofer hospital etc. These seven shelter homes were constructed with about Rs 10.68 crore, which have a capacity to accommodate 900 persons. Urban Community Development (UCD) wing of GHMC will monitor shelter homes.

Civic body officials observed that these shelter homes at the hospitals would be useful to the attendants coming from different places, who can stay free.

Every Tuesday, the GHMC officials will inspect shelter homes and check if the public has basic facilities or not. Most of the shelter homes in the city were maintained by NGOs and the civic body pays the expenditure monthly, said a GHMC officer.

The officials also added that the public were using these shelter homes in the city and at hospitals. Even migrant workers were using these shelter homes.

To make the city beggar-free, the GHMC officials and police department were conducting special drives in the city and sending the homeless persons to the nearest shelter home.

Shelter home at Osmania General Hospital was constructed at a cost of Rs 3.37 crore, shelter home at Mahaveer hospital with Rs 75 lakhs, shelter home at Niloufer hospital with Rs 2.65 crore.