As they wandered along the deserted roads of Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai in search of a handful of food and a glass of water, the homeless might have thought that the lockdown was the end of the road for them.
Though she was rushing to the Collectorate to chair a meeting with the officials to discuss anti-COVID – 19 operations, Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish pushed her agenda aside when she saw one of the homeless searching a garbage bin in front of a closed eatery.
Ms. Shilpa immediately asked officials to take all efforts to rescue the homeless and the mentally ill wandering along the streets. The very same evening, the mentally ill were taken to the homes being maintained by social service organisations and the homeless were accommodated in the Corporation’s home and also in the temporary relief camp created at Kallanai Corporation Higher Secondary School in Tirunelveli Town.
After hairdressers were pressed into service, the rescued persons were given bath and new clothes besides hot food. All of them were screened for viral infection, if any. While efforts were on to send people from other districts and other States back to their home after the end of the lockdown, the mentally ill patients would be given medical care and counselling.
“I humbly request everyone who happens to see the homeless or the mentally ill wandering along the roads to inform toll-free 1077 or the tahsildars concerned. Our people will come to the spot and rescue them,” Ms. Shilpa said.
When she visited the rescued people at the relief camp at Kallanai Corporation Higher Secondary School on Saturday afternoon with new clothes, the inmates were overwhelmed.