Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched a new ambulance service to rescue and assist homeless and sick people across the city.
The initiative aims to bridge the gap in emergency medical access for the city's most vulnerable citizens who lack permanent shelter. By integrating rescue services with rehabilitation centers, the government seeks to reduce mortality and morbidity among those living on the streets.
Gupta inaugurated the service in partnership with Apna Ghar Ashram, an organization focused on providing shelter and care. The ambulances are designed to identify, rescue, and transport sick individuals from the streets to medical facilities or shelters for further treatment and rehabilitation [1].
Beyond immediate medical rescue, the Chief Minister announced a new financial commitment to support youth leaving state care. The government will implement an after-care scheme valued at Rs 3.5 crore [2]. This funding is intended to help youth transitioning out of government homes as they move toward independent living.
The combined effort focuses on a continuum of care, from the moment a person is found incapacitated on a sidewalk to the long-term reintegration of young adults into society. The administration said these measures are necessary to provide a comprehensive safety net for citizens who have no other support systems [1].
“The ambulances are designed to identify, rescue, and transport sick individuals from the streets.”
This dual-pronged approach addresses both acute and chronic instability within Delhi's marginalized populations. While the ambulance service provides immediate crisis intervention for the homeless, the after-care funding targets the systemic 'cliff' that youth face when aging out of state institutions, potentially reducing the future number of homeless adults in the city.
