The homeless need care, not ID card: Psychiatrist

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: A Bengaluru-based collective called ‘Namma Kutumba - Dignity to the homeless’ held its second annual conference at the Scouts and Guides Auditorium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

There are four organisations currently leading this collective – Project Smile Trust, Aaladamara Foundation (initiative of The Banyan and Azim Premji Foundation), HBS Hospital and Thanal.

The conference touched upon training needs for individuals engaged with the homeless. Since its inception in 2022, Namma Kutumba’s Bengaluru Homeless Programme project has reached out to over 16,000 persons through outreach, medical, psychiatric and long-term care.

“You don’t need an identity card to prove you are human. Everyone needs to have access to care, support and social networks,” psychiatrist at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) Dr Sanjeev Jain said. Dr Jain is also associated with Aaladamara.