Hyderabad: In an effort to aid the homeless and destitute patients, the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) on Thursday inaugurated a 20-bedded special ward. It was set up in collaboration with the city-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation.
These patients are termed ‘unknown cases’ as they come without family or attenders and are brought to the hospital by the police. Now, the NGO will take responsibility to look after such patients, while the doctors and nurses treat them. It is said that at least two-three ‘unknown’ cases are found in the OGH daily.
OGH’s superintendent B Nagender, RMOs and HHF’s volunteers formally participated in the inauguration on Thursday here. “Hitherto a lot of unknown cases used to come and there was no coordinated effort to treat, cure and rehabilitate them, now we will attempt to do this with support from our doctors, nurses and our NGO partner,” Nagender said on the occasion.
He added that those who recover after treatment will be sent to rehabilitation homes or ashrams with the help of the police and NGO.
HHF’s Mujtaba Hasan Askari noted that abandoned and homeless patients have serious mental health issues and are acclimatized to living alone and on the streets. “Their care and rehabilitation for such will always remain a challenge,” he said.
