Finally, shelter and free food for Aiims patients

Occupants of a public toilet till now, critically-ill Ramrati and Hem Kumari have found a home in the Sanatan Dharm Shiv Mandir dharamshala in Yusuf Sarai, a five-minute walk from Aiims, where they are receiving treatment. Rhythma Kaul & Sushil Kumar report. Web buzz

Occupants of a public toilet till now, critically-ill Ramrati and Hem Kumari have found a home in the Sanatan Dharm Shiv Mandir dharamshala in Yusuf Sarai, a five-minute walk from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where they are receiving treatment.

Ram-Rati-l-and-Hem-Kumari-r-patients-in-Aiims-who-were-living-in-a-toilet-shifted-to-a-dharamshala-in-Yusuf-Sarai-New-Delhi

After Wednesday's reports in HT on poor, out-of-town patients squatting in toilets and subways, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation claimed the unused urinal outside Aiims as its own.

But within hours of being rendered homeless, Ramrati, 45, and Hem Kumari, 25, were rescued by Uday Foundation, an NGO that works with sick children and destitute patients.

"Our foundation has tied up with this dharamshala to give a home to sick patients from outside Delhi who can't afford to pay for food and stay," said Rahul Verma, founder of Uday Foundation.

The two women - who lived under a tree before moving into the toilet - can stay at the dharamshala, with their spouses, for as long as they need to.

"We usually allow patients to stay till their treatment is complete," said Abhishek Tiwari, the manager.

All their meals for the next 10 days will be free too.

"After sleeping on a pavement for months, to sleep in a bed is a dream come true," said Ramrati.

The Uttar Pradesh resident will get another piece of good news on Thursday - a date for her heart-valve replacement surgery.

"It's much cleaner here. I can live here till I resume treatment next fortnight," said Hem Kumari, who is undergoing chemotherapy for blood cancer.

Several HT readers have also offered money to help poor patients from outside the city travel back and forth for treatment.