District officials on Wednesday sealed a unit of St. Joseph’s Hospice in Tiruvalam in Vellore district, and shifted 13 of its inmates to two approved old age homes.
Collector S.A. Raman said that the old age home was functioning without permission. “The village administrative officer and panchayat secretary informed us that the home was functioning for the last two to three months. This is a unit of St. Joseph’s Hospice in Paleswaram in Kancheepuram district,” he said. St. Joseph’s Hospice in Paleswaram came under scanner after officials found instance of unauthorised disposal of bodies. They also found that the management had not produced the building stability certificate. Officials have started to shift the inmates to other old age homes.
Based on information, a team of officials visited the hospice at Tiruvalam. Officials said that earlier, a teachers’ training centre was functioning in this place and was closed down.
The hospice management took over the building and started operating the unit. However, it was not registered with the district administration.
Mr. Raman said that there were seven women and six men at the hospice. “They were very old. Three of them were quite ill. Most of them were destitutes. We have shifted them to two approved homes in the district. We also arranged for health check up for the persons through the Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services,” he said. The hospice had two to three staff.
The Collector has directed officials to inspect old age homes across the district to check if they were authorised. “I have asked the district social welfare officer to check these homes,” he said.
