9.4.2024. 10 pm IST
If you ever visited Navtara Restaurant @ Panjim market , Goa in the last 10 years, you would have observed an elderly poor goan lady always in unclean attire shouting, abusing and very destructive right on the footpath and mostly in the corner.
( I am not quoting her name nor her picture, let's see how many know who I am referring too)
Well , there are Angel's @ Goa Police.
I am sure most of you living in an around panjim city would have seen her and last 8 years of our NGO , every month one or two calls would come to rehabilitate her.
Immediately I would call Panjim Police station but always excuses and nothing much to expect as the lady is & was a hard nut to crack as she was too complicated to handle.
But that was all the past.
Until just a month back, there was New INSPECTOR of PANJIM Police station appointed, our good friend & who is also a good friend of the poor & homeless, INSPECTOR VIJAY CHODANKAR.
I one-day brought up this topic of this lady & within 2 days INSPECTOR Vijay got his team to do the needful.
PSI Mr A.Khan was given the responsibility and although they took more than 12 hours and lots of manpower and huge amount of paper work, this elderly goan lady was admitted into IPHB I can say for the 1st time.
This should have happened 10 years back.
Rain , sun , winter – sleeps in abandoned vehicles or on the streets, not sure about her daily bath & other hygiene.
But very very unclean and unhygienc.
If it was not for ANGELS ie ,
The INSPECTOR Mr Vijay Chondankar &
The PSI Mr A. Khan
this elderly goan lady would have still been on the corner of NAVTARA , Panjim Market.
Well it does not stop here .
IPHB initially refused admission inspite of a Magistrate Order as the lady refused to be admitted.
I mean no person with mental disabilities will evey accept they are suffering.
Anyway after admission into IPHB , the lady would have been back out after 15 days.
But this is what I wish to highlight ie
70 residents around Navtara Restaurant put their signature on a appeal stating that the lady should be sent to a shelter home once ready for discharge & this was addressed to the :
Local MLA,
Mayor , Corporation of city of Panjim,
INSPECTOR Of Panjim Police station,
I assume and i am sure :
☆ 1. The INSPECTOR of Panjim Police station wrote to the IPHB that once discharge of the lady is ready please hand over this lady to the Police to place In a shelter home.
☆ 2. May be even The Local MLA & THE MAYOR and the Corporation endorsed these views
Because as of date This elderly lady is not on the streets of Panjim which means she is in IPHB taking treatment.
This is why I called the two police officials ANGELS.
In the last few years, most of the Inspectors are not too co operative towards poor homeless people on the streets suffering from mental disabilities as there are no designated government homes once discharged from IPHB.
So basically it's a waste of time , manpower, paperwork, where even if picked up and put into IPHB, once discharged it's back to the streets.
But since we have a good relationship with both The INSPECTOR & The Sub INSPECTOR, this elderly lady will be rehabilitated either in our home or at Provedoria.
That the State will decide.
But Like this elderly goan lady @ Navtara , I am aware of 100's such cases across Goa & it's high time Society takes a lead to reach out to such poor people living a horrible life.
Just imagine 70 residents put pressure on their Local MLA, Corporation and the police with their letter and what did not happen in 10 years, happened quickly.
☆ 1. We as Society expect The Police to do the rehabilitation of people on the streets but we need to know POLICE don't have such homes.
☆ 2. NGOs like us expect the Police to pick up such people and get them into IPHB for treatment & then send them to us , but that never happens.
☆ 3. The State assumes that NGOs like us will go on taking such cases off the starts but without grants it's just not going to happen.
☆ 4. Ultimately its these poor vulnerable goans who suffer as all of us fail them.
To all those who wondered where this elderly goan lady disappeared ” well she is in IPHB “
If anyone knows her family please do let me know.
We are on stand by to take into our home as and when she is discharged from IPHB but to be routed thru the Police.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564.
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes
8380097564 / 7020314848
