Sidewalk sleepers have nowhere else to stay while loved ones receive hospital care

Families sleep beside the hospitals

At 2 a.m. outside a Delhi hospital, Shabana Kumar wakes her husband, Arun. They take turns sleeping for about an hour because their 6-year-old son is being treated for leukemia in the oncology ward, and they fear missing an urgent call.

The family traveled more than 600 miles from Bihar. They sought care in Delhi because treatment for their son's cancer was unaffordable there; AIIMS subsidizes costs for families in need. The Kumars have no affordable place to stay while he receives care.

A makeshift place to rest

On an August night, dozens of families slept on blankets or sheets laid on the sidewalk. Some attached mosquito nets to railings, keeping bags and other belongings close by.

During daylight, relatives travel between the pavement and the hospital for appointments, tests, medicines and consultations. One person may stay behind to watch the family's belongings, while others carry essential items with them. Some patients sleep outside too, if they are seen during the day but do not have a hospital bed.

Support grows nearby

Women cook rice on makeshift brick stoves, volunteers distribute food, and nearby shops sell medicines and necessities. Tea stalls provide drinks and let families charge their phones. Families share information about doctors, tests and meals. Vishnu Singh, who runs a tea stall with his brother Arjun, said, “I see poor people sleeping here every day, so many that I cannot even count them.”

Care can keep families in Delhi

AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital stand opposite each other and treat people with conditions including cancer, heart problems and intestinal disorders. Patients and relatives arrive from across India, sometimes traveling hundreds or thousands of kilometers.

Some families stay for a week, others for a month or longer. Returning home between hospital visits is impractical for many, leaving them in Delhi throughout treatment without affordable accommodation.