Telangana Government not bothered about testing homeless

Hyderabad: In order to curtail the fast spreading coronavirus, the authorities have increased the number of tests across the city, however, it seems no one is bothered to screen the homeless, who are also at high risk of contracting the Covid infection.

There are hundreds of homeless who dwell in big groups along roadside and particularly near railway stations.

According to health department, authorities are testing more than 10,000 samples across state and over 6,000 in city a day. "The government has increased the screening in city and is also being conducting in slums. They are duty bound to test the homeless as even they are citizens. The roadside dwellers have no knowledge of screenings being conducted as a result these people are not getting tested, if one contracts the virus, the chances of it spreading within communities is high," said Syed Waseem, president of Shield of Humanitarian, an NGO.

The homeless live on roadsides in unhygienic conditions and with monsoon comes seasonal diseases, illnesses and there is possibility of transmitting the virus. As most of them beg on roads, traffic signals etc and it may infect passersby, he added.

"If one is affected with virus these dwellers cannot even visit a hospital. There are several people who have died near the government hospitals including Osmania Hospital and even now dead bodies are lying on roads and no one is bothered about their death," said Waseem.

Looking at the death of homeless, he further asked, "Are these dead people being tested for virus? He raised question. If one of the dead persons was Covid positive, won't it spread?" He asked.

He said "Everyone is now being tested for virus, and political leaders are conducting awareness in slums to get tested, but none of them are talking about the homeless for getting tested for virus," he pointed.

"There are several people mostly living near railway stations including Dabeerpura, Yakutpura, Uppuguda, Falaknuma, Nampally, Kachiguda etc. in this stations at least 50 homeless people live and if one gets infecgted with virus it may spread to all in the group in all, as these people can't even isolate themselves," said Mohammed Abdul Rahman, a social activist.

He said in slum areas Basti Dawakhanas, UPHCs are screening for test, the local leaders and corporators must test this homeless and treat those tested Covid positive, he added.