THE Night Shelter, located at Arapaima Street, East La Penitence is to be upgraded with new healthcare, infrastructure and security measures. The new systems are to ensure better healthcare for the homeless people who use the facility.Efforts to improve the Shelter include erecting better fences, improvement to the security system with the installation of closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and a newly built security hut, building staff capacity and providing more efficient medical interventions.

The Shelter, operated by the Ministry of Social Protection, recently introduced a medical examination system to check for infectious diseases. This is to prevent the spread of diseases and protect the health of all those at the shelter.

Administrator of the Night Shelter, Sheila Veerasammy explained that when a person wants to reside at the Night Shelter, an interview is conducted and the person needs to provide proof that they are homeless. A medical examination is carried out and in some cases a police clearance is requested. Veerasammy explained that these systems were implemented because many persons living on the pavement have tuberculosis (TB) and hypertension and persons oftentimes commit crimes and want to hide out at the shelter. The Administrator posited that these systems will ensure a safe and clean environment for homeless persons to be integrated and live comfortably.

The medical examination will inform the Night Shelter of the health condition of the person and how best they can be treated. Additionally, plans are underway to collaborate with the Palms Geriatric Home for an on-call doctor to attend to occupants who need medical attention. Also, living quarters have been upgraded and divided into three sections. Persons who are ill are placed in one section to give them some amount of privacy and to protect the other occupants. There are nine persons currently living at the Night Shelter with TB.

Veerasammy pointed out that while it is a shelter and anyone in need has the right to be there once a bed is available, the shelter has the responsibility to take some necessary precautions.

“This environment is what you call a fertile ground for any occasion to arise, most of which can be negative,” she said. (GINA)