Oldham Doctor - protect homeless from Coronavirus
Date published: 12 March 2020
Dr Zahid Chauhan
An Oldham family doctor has penned a desperate plea to the Prime Minister to protect rough sleepers from the Coronavirus - by handing out health packs and providing urgent screening tests at drop-in centres.
In an open letter to Number 10, Dr Zahid Chauhan told Boris Johnson that his actions so far may have reassured most people that Britain was braced for the virus, but that he must wake up to the dire threat the homeless face.
That peril was exacerbated by desperately poor hygiene, sleeping in close proximity and compromised immune systems already battling a myriad of life-threatening conditions.
Said Dr Chauhan: “So far the only action taken on behalf of the homeless has been the distribution of health packs by volunteers in the London Borough of Islington.
"Johnson should be using his position to encourage, support and cajole all local authorities into working with providers to make sure rough sleepers are protected.
"Let this not be another case of denying the best possible healthcare to those who need it most.”
Dr Chauhan founded a charity named Homeless-Friendly in 2018 after he observed a rough sleeper removing his own teeth with a pair of pliers.
Since then he has encouraged hundreds of medical practices, hospitals, out-of-hours providers, businesses and charities to pledge to look at their services and make sure they cater for the homeless.
Although the charity has caused nothing short of a cultural change in the way rough sleepers are cared for, Chauhan is mindful of the terrible mental, dental and physical issues the street homeless face and that the average life expectancy of a rough sleeper is just 45 years-of-age.
“The Coronavirus has so far done its most damaging work to those already dealing with life-limiting illnesses," added Dr Chauhan.
"And nobody is more beaten down by poor health than the homeless.
"They don’t even have the basics such as a warm bed to recuperate in or nutritious food to re-build their health."
In his open letter to Boris Johnson, Dr Chauhan says that in the midst of this chaos, the PM could show kindness and remind the homeless that they are a valued part of our society.
Dr Chauhan is a national campaigner for health equalities plus the founder of the Homeless-Friendly health programme for rough sleepers and those experiencing homelessness.
He will be receiving the OBE at Buckingham Palace today (Thursday) for services to the homeless.
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