The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Beggars' home inmates hope to see better days

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Wednesday, Aug 25, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Beggars' home inmates hope to see better days

Afshan Yasmeen

53 more inmates have been referred to various government hospitals in the city

Pact with handloom corporation and Lidkar to provide uniforms and footwear
Case histories of mentally ill inmates
being profiled

BACK TO work:Some of the inmates of the Beggars' Rehabilitation Centre on Magadi Road are back to work at the Industrial Training Centre on its campus.

Bangalore: “The apple was delicious. If only we got to eat such things everyday!” said 20-year-old Rekha, an inmate of the Beggars' Rehabilitation Centre on Magadi Road.

Rekha looked cheerful on Tuesday, in contrast to her mood the day after the catastrophe broke out at the centre, when The Hindu had first spoken to her.

The apples were among the fruits distributed to the inmates of the centre by Congress activists, who came to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with them.

“I fought with my parents who stay in Shimoga and ran away from home. I wanted to earn a living in Bangalore and was near the Yeshwanthpur Circle when I was caught and brought here,” she had told The Hindu. “I do not want to go back to my parents. But if somebody gives me a job, I will go with them.”

Her dream seemed to have come true on Tuesday with Congress workers deciding to rehabilitate her.

“We will employ her in our centre and also rehabilitate her,” said Bharathi Shankar, who is part of the Public Vigilance Forum, a non-governmental organisation run by Mahalakshmi Layout MLA N.L. Narendra Babu and like-minded residents.

Situation still gloomy

However, not all inmates were as lucky as Rekha. Except for new uniforms, lesser stench and slightly better food, the situation at the centre continued to be grim.

Although disinfected and slightly spruced up following Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's visit on Saturday, not all was well. The area outside the dormitories was cleaned, but there was no difference within the female dormitories.

G. Harimurthy, the centre's doctor, said 53 more inmates were referred to various Government hospitals since Monday evening. One more person, who had fled the centre and was brought back by the police, died on Tuesday at the centre taking the toll to 28.

“Of the 53, five were referred for diarrhoeal infections and the rest for general ailments including fever, anaemia, malnutrition and weakness. All of them were sent to Victoria Hospital,” he said.

Improving

The condition of those admitted in K C General, Bowring and Lady Curzon, Victoria and Epidemic Diseases hospitals has been improving, said doctors heading these Government-run facilities.

Of the 48 cases referred to Victoria, only two have been admitted for further treatment. “We did a general check-up of the rest and sent them away by evening,” B.G. Tilak, Medical Superintendent of the hospital said.

Shankare Gowda, in-charge Resident Medical Officer of Bowring Hospital, said all the 20 admitted since Monday were doing fine. “We will keep them for two more days for general improvement and discharge them,” he said.

Medical Superintendent of K.C. General Hospital M. Vishwaradhya said while two inmates were referred to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, one was referred to NIMHANS. “The condition of the remaining 15 is improving,” he said.

Profiling

M. Ramaiah, secretary of the Central Relief Committee, told The Hindu that the Social Welfare Department had started profiling the case histories of inmates who are mentally ill and are from outside the State.

“We have entered into an agreement with the State-run Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation and Lidkar to provide new uniforms and footwear to the inmates. The food is now cooked hygienically,” he said and added three more borewells had been dug up.

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