Concerned: Ling (centre) and Khairin-Nisa Ismail (second from right) looking on as enforcement officers question individuals sleeping on the chairs during the raid recently.
Many using Johor hospital as home, to bathe and sleep
JOHOR BARU: One of the busiest public healthcare facilities in the country, Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) tends to thousands of patients each day.
But at night, it becomes an unauthorised shelter for homeless people.
A handful of them also choose to hang around in the hospital during the day and take advantage of the facilities, such as electric sockets, to charge their mobile phones.
A 57-year-old homeless man, who declined to be named, said he “moved” to HSA as he could not afford to rent a place after getting out of jail a few months ago.
“My family is in Kluang and I am alone here in the city,” he said.
The man would go to the city centre to get free meals from non-governmental organisations and also from a vegetarian restaurant opposite the Johor Baru Ancient Temple.
“I used to work in construction before I was jailed. As an ex-convict, it’s tough to get a job and both my arms and legs are also weak,” he said.
The man said he does not know how to apply for social welfare assistance. He added that he and other homeless individuals usually “return” to HSA at night, where they shower at the hospital’s toilets and sleep on the link chairs.
“I think as long as we do not disturb the patients or stir trouble, the hospital will not take action against us,” he added.
Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said he has received complaints about homeless people sleeping in the hospital without permission, raising health and security concerns.
He said HSA was the only hospital in the state facing this issue, probably due to its location in Johor Baru.
“As it gets late and the hospital is less busy, these individuals will quietly appear with their luggage to spend the night. They will then pack up their belongings and leave in the morning.
“This has been happening for quite some time. The hospital staff tried to stop them from sleeping there in the past, but they got aggressive and caused a scene, so the staff just let them be,” he added.
Ling said he has seen for himself how the homeless people used the chairs and benches at HSA as their resting place during one of his night spot checks at the hospital.He added that the number of people sleeping there varied each night and could go up to 20, most of them in their 40s and 50s.
“They choose to seek shelter at HSA rather than on the streets because the hospital is well-lit, clean and has toilets,” he added.
Ling and state women, family and community development committee chairman Khairin-Nisa Ismail recently led a clean-up operation at several places, including HSA, to pick up homeless people.
The operation involved multiple government agencies, including the police and Social Welfare Department. Nine homeless people, including four at HSA, were later given assistance by the relevant agencies, including on how to seek social welfare assistance if they were eligible.
“The authorities will also help the homeless look for job opportunities and place the elderly in welfare homes.
“Those with mental health issues will be sent for the necessary support and treatment,” he added.
In that recent operation, enforcement officers also found a sharp metal rod in one man’s bag.
“He was handed to the police,” he said.
Ling added that the homeless people were also found to be carrying pillows and travel bags with them. He said the state government has carried out 10 clean-up operations to rid the city of homeless and drug addicts, including at Jalan Wong Ah Fook and along Sungai Segget.
Continuous efforts would be carried out in the future to reduce the number of homeless people on the streets to improve Johor’s security, cleanliness and image, he said.
