One more person died today at a government-run observation home for mentally challenged people, taking the total number of deaths to 26 in the last five months and prompting chief minister Sheila Dikshit to issue strict instructions to ensure proper care of the inmates.
Following Dikshit's direction, finance minister AK Walia and social welfare minister Mangat Ram Singhal visited the Asha Kiran home, where they were confronted by angry locals who even tried to attack their vehicles.
"This is a very serious issue," Dikshit said. "I have issued a directive to ensure proper care of the inmates staying there."
Babu, a 30 year-old inmate of the observation home, died at the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital today. Yesterday, a 10-year-old died while on Saturday a woman inmate had breathed her last.
After the visit, Walia admitted that the authorities had failed to ensure the well-being of the inmates.
"We will soon improve the infrastructure and appoint more nurses, doctors and other staff to ensure proper care of the inmates," Walia told reporters.
Over 700 inmates are staying at the home against the sanctioned strength of just 200. The home is being run by an NGO appointed by the social welfare department.
Social welfare secretary Manoj Parida said a team of doctors, comprising specialists in mental disorders, had been formed to carry out a thorough health check-up of all inmates.
A government-appointed committee earlier this month had
identified overcapacity, lack of basic facilities, shortage of doctors, and unhygienic conditions as reasons for the deaths of inmates.
A six-member committee of BJP MLAs also blamed lack of basic amenities and unhygienic conditions for the deaths.
