Delhi govt launches health van for homeless drug addicts

In a bid to help the homeless overcome drug addiction, the Delhi government launched a mobile health van at a night shelter at Yamuna Bazaar on Friday. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated the van, accompanied by Women and Child Development (WCD) director Shilpa Shinde.

Shinde acknowledged that drug addiction is a major problem in the city, with many youngsters falling prey to it. The Yamuna Bazaar, which is located in the New Delhi district of Delhi near the Red Fort, houses a huge community of slum dwellers - many of whom are drug addicts

"They need to be loved and accepted instead of being reprimanded harshly as is the general approach. So, in order to meet the special challenges of this part of the city's homeless addicts, the government, in partnership with WCD and proactive local NGOs, launched a mobile health van, offering state-of-the-art medical facilities. It especially caters to de-addiction," Sisodia said.