New Delhi | Arun Sharma

“Sir, my days and nights pass on the roadside. I am battling tuberculosis, but because I am homeless, I am denied the diet money meant to support my treatment.”


This is not the story of one man alone, but the shared anguish of 35 homeless tuberculosis patients in the national capital.


The government’s TB Elimination Nutrition Scheme is designed to provide monthly financial assistance to ensure proper nutrition during treatment, helping patients regain strength and recover faster. However, the harsh reality is that the absence of a permanent address, Aadhaar card and bank account has pushed these homeless patients outside the safety net of the scheme.


Homelessness Becomes the Biggest Hurdle
According to a representation submitted to the health department, Dharam Raj (40) was diagnosed with TB in June 2025 and began treatment in July. He has been homeless for the past six years.
With no bank account and no mobile phone, he has been unable to receive the ₹1,000 monthly nutrition assistance transferred directly to beneficiaries’ accounts.


“Proper food is essential during TB treatment,” he says. “But if help itself is denied, how are we supposed to fight this disease?”


A Scheme That Fails to Reach the Most Vulnerable
Under the National TB Elimination Programme, nutritional support was earlier fixed at ₹500 per month and later increased to ₹1,000. The intent is clear—
treatment must go hand in hand with nutrition.
Yet, for those without bank accounts, the benefit remains inaccessible. As a result, homeless TB patients are forced to fight a life-threatening disease without adequate food or financial support.


A Voice for the Voiceless
Raising the issue on humanitarian grounds, advocate Ashok Aggarwal has written to the health department and the health secretary, urging immediate intervention.
He has pointed out that 35 homeless TB patients are being denied nutrition assistance solely due to lack of documents, calling it a grave injustice.


“Disease does not ask for an address or a bank account,” Aggarwal said. “These patients deserve the same support as any other TB patient. The government must evolve alternative mechanisms for them.”


A Question of Humanity
This case is not merely about administrative gaps, but about empathy and inclusive governance.
If government support fails to reach the weakest sections of society, the dream of eliminating TB will remain incomplete.


The need of the hour is for the government and society to act together, ensuring that those living on pavements and footpaths are not denied dignity, nutrition and hope—
so that they too can fight TB with strength, not hunger.