86 inmates of St Joseph Hospice moved to government home

Kancheepuram district administration on Monday decided to shift St Joseph Hospices inmates from the Palleswaram facility to government homes and hospitals immediately citing violations including lack of licence since September 2017.  

All the 255 senior citizens will be shifted to government homes in and around Kancheepuram. By Monday night, 86 of the inmates were moved out of the hospice while the rest would be shifted out in a few days, said revenue divisional officer, G Raju. 

The officer had last week led a team of government officials to the St Joseph Hospice after people found out that one of the Hospice’ van was carrying a body along with vegetable bags and two inmates in Salaivakkam. The local residents also cried foul over the concrete vault burial system of the hospices, while the mangers at the centre defended it saying it was a global accepted norm.  

District administration on Monday said that hospice does not have a valid license from last September. Health officials and pollution board officials also are unhappy with the burial system as it emanates bad smell. 

According to sources, 1,620 inmates had died in the hospices in seven years. Death of more than a thousand had not been registered and bodies were reportedly disposed without the death certificates, because the inmates may not remember their names when they are taken to the elder  care centre.