In a move aimed at the care, protection, and well-being of discharged patients, the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and the Social Justice department have partnered with Gandhi Bhavan, Pathanapuram, to rehabilitate 15 elderly patients from Ward 9 of General Hospital and 10 destitute patients from Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
At a programme on Thursday to mark the rehabilitation of discharged patients who had nowhere to go or had been abandoned by their families, Minister for Social Justice R. Bindu lauded the initiative, and emphasised the government’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all citizens, particularly those requiring special attention. In case relatives demonstrated reluctance in fulfilling their responsibilities, appropriate measures such as referring the cases to the maintenance tribunals set up under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act should be initiated.
The Minister reiterated follow-up action for care and protection of the elderly. Strict legal action would be taken against those who usurped property and then abandoned their kin, she said.
