Monday July 6, 2009
Residents clothed and stench almost gone
KUALA KUBU BARU: A day after The Star highlighted the conditions at the Taman Sinar Harapan shelter home, there has been a marked improvement.
The floor was cleaner, the stench was almost gone and nearly all of the residents had been clothed.
Freedom, for now: A Taman Sinar Harapan home attendant unchaining one of the residents when the press arrived to take photographs yesterday. A visit to the home yesterday saw the place teeming with state Social Welfare Department officials, volunteers from the Sri Sai Baba Centre and reporters.
Department deputy director-general (operations) Halijah Yahaya said the situation at the home had actually “improved over the last few years.”
“If you think this is bad, you should have seen this place a few years ago. Now the floors are all tiled and things here are more organised and well-managed,” said Halijah, adding that the home managed to provide a decent shelter for the residents and protect them from harm.
“Imagine if these people are not taken in and have been left wandering the streets.
“They are vulnerable to all sorts of danger and harm. Some have been known to be molested,” she said.
Halijah stressed that the institution also had in-house psychiatrists and physicians to care for the residents.
“As for the condition of the place, we have done our best and this is the best from us,” she said, adding that it was not easy having to take care of the mentally challenged.
Taman Sinar Harapan head Saifulnizam Mohd Noor said the institution had 114 staff members, with 84 attendants working on three eight-hour shifts, as well as two nurses and two physiotherapists.
When asked why so few were seen during The Star’s first two visits, he said they worked on different shifts and that each section was manned by four personnel.
On funds from the Government, Saifulnizam said the home currently “had not more than RM100,000.”
Women, Family and Community Development Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Faizah Mohd Tahir said although attendants at the home provide basic care such as bathing, clothing and feeding, they were not medical attendants.
“Nevertheless, they do the best they can, given the number of residents under their care at any one time.”
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