12.6.24. 8pm.IST
We @ Street Providence Goa are stuck up for the last 3 months with a huge no of poor homeless goans in our homes who are sick & continuesly require visits to government hospitals.
It's getting bad to worse as we are completely drained out & stressed in the summer heat which has slightly reduced due to the start of the monsoon.
Caring for those poor goans suffering from disabilities is turning into a huge nightmare.
Last full two months we have reduced our intake of homeless into our homes as a result one can see alot of homeless in cities and a sizeable no are occupying beds in government hospitals.
We had officially written & requested The Health Department for Government Doctors to visit our homes early February 2024.
But till date no reply.
Today our NGO has more psychiatric patients than PROVEDORIA , yet we are not given the same medical facilities as the health department gives to PROVEDORIA.
It's easy to request us to take the homeless from the streets but belive me it's not viable and feasible any more due to these reasons :
》 1. We have to pick them from the streets
》 2. Take them to hospitals, stand in line , pay their bills as non of them have valid ID.
》3. If admissions into hospitals for treatment is required we have to hire a caregiver which costs mone.
》4. Daily then we have to follow up on these patients in hospitals as Doctors keep calling.
》5. If medication is not provided free then purchase these medicines.
》6. If they die then expenses of the cremation we have to bear plus huge amount of Police paper wok.
At any point of time in the last 2 months we have 6 to 8 patients daily admitted into Government hospitals including IPHB.
Today as I write this post we have 12 Inmates from our homes admitted into GMC, IPHB & both DISTRICT HOSPITALS.
Plus Daily we take 6 , 8 , 10 patients for their monthly psychiatric checkups to IPHB from all our homes.
Everyday 4 am , 5 days a week one staff is in SSB GMC for appointment @ Neurology.
Daily 4 cars are these hospitals :
☆ District hospital Margao
☆ IPHB
☆ Gmc
☆ District hospital mapusa. Only with patients.
4 cars means 4 drivers and 6 to 8 care givers.
There is daily in GMC 9.30 am to 5.30 pm one full time staff with our patients either at OPD or in the ward.
One staff is daily at IPHB only taking patients brought by different drivers for their assessment.
For all this services we get a grant of :
A. Rs 2500/ Rs 4500 per women per month from WCD and
B. Rs 2500 per man per month for only one shelter home holding 10 men from Social Welfare Dept.
And mind you we have close to 160+ poor goans and non goans suffering from mental disabilities and homeless.
We have another 23 patients in IPHB who are in need of care & rehabilitation who we need to take in.
We have been assured & promised by
The Hon CM that our grants would be increased at WCD & Social Welfare but I am still waiting.
WCD grants have been increased but due to code of Conduct the process slowed down.
Social Welfare dept has actually now been bifurcated into a new Dept called
” Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities ” and no one here is aware of reality.
Hon CM had requested not to shut the homes but it's not easy without assured funds and medical support.
It's been sad turning away many requests as we are unsure about the Government funds and taking in more people is not practical & viable at this moment.
For those who we have refused admissions in the last 3 months we apologize.
But praying that things move quickly now that the code of Conduct has been lifted.
Belive me the situation in Goa for those who are poor and homeless either on the streets or in hospitals is very very depressing.
Goa is facing a huge no of homeless street people with 30% to 40% of them being goans.
But no one is addressing these issues.
As of today, We are having enough bed capacity to take in at any point of time in one go, say 50 to 60 homeless both men & women, but the funding and the medical issues need to be addressed and sorted out well in advance .
Practically everyday we are running around to different hospitals as most of the homeless are senior citizens with all types of complicated chronic sickness.
All queries strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes
8380097564 / 7020314848