State government orders the relocation of senior citizens from Santiago shelter

The state government and the Merida municipality had to intervene in the case of the “Jesús de la Misericordia” shelter for elderly people that operates in deplorable conditions on a property located on the western side of the Santiago square, in downtown Mérida.

State authorities reported on Sunday May 3rd, that in view of the poor conditions and the lack of services that prevail in this private shelter, an appeal was made to those in charge to relocate the senior citizens who reside in this site, “in order to guarantee better care and healthier conditions during this dangerous Covid-19 outbreak”.

The City Council said that it is already in close communication with the state government and the Office of the Attorney for the Defense of Children and Families (Prodemefa) to provide the necessary attention to these persons.

In the middle of the acute phase of the coronavirus pandemic, and when infections are multiplying in an increasingly accelerated way, voices claiming justice arose that alerted about the poor conditions in which many elderly people have to live in some shelters in the state capital.

Regarding the “Jesús de la Misericordia” shelter, women who work in favor of older adults warned that, as surely happens in other such places in the city, there is a serious risk of becoming a focus of coronavirus infection due to the lack of hygiene and health care.

In fact, the state government specified in a statement that the poor conditions were detected in a health inspection carried out by the Directorate for Protection Against Health Risks.

“Despite the fact that the people in this private assistance center actually pay a monthly fee to live there, they do not have a 24-hour psychologist, nurse, social worker or caretaker. There is no surveillance, protection and security plan, and there is no internal program validated by Civil Protection either, which is necessary based on the health risks to which these people are exposed”, indicates the state government.

“The shelter does not have an operating notice, a health officer and lacks various internal manuals that promote a cordial, technically efficient environment and comprehensive care for the elderly, as well as promoting a culture of respect for human rights”, according to the statement issued by the Directorate for Protection against Health Risks.

In a letter dated April 28, the Yucatan Health Services gave the managers of the shelter 10 calendar days, counted from that notification, to evict the elderly who are living there, in compliance with the “necessary actions to attend the health emergency by Covid-19”.

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