Hospitals to keep homeless patients

Hospitals were not allowed to discharge the building collapse victims after 10 am on Tuesday.

Hospitals were not allowed to discharge the building collapse victims after 10 am on Tuesday. This, after Delhi health minister Kiran Walia announced that all victims, having lost their home, would be given government shelters.

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"We cannot let these homeless people roam around the streets. It is the state's responsibility to give them shelter. They will be shifted to government homes after being discharged from hospitals," said Walia.

"It will be cruel to let them go until they have found alternate arrangements. We will not discharge any patients for the next two days at least," said Dr Amit Banerjee, medical superintendent at Lok Nayak hospital. "We had to amputate the lower limbs of one patient, but the rest are fine."

Twelve patients, most with hand, legs and face fractures, are recovering at Dr Hedgewar Aarogya Santhan.

"Nine patients who needed neuro-surgical opinions were shifted to Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital," said Dr Das, additional medical superintendent at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.