The Social Services Division had intervened in mid-May to help the woman who gave birth on the pavement in Curepe junction on Tuesday but she had refused the help, says Minister of the People and Social Development Christine Newallo-Hosein.
Newallo-Hosein was speaking at a symposium for the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Unit at the ministry, yesterday, at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain.
“A lady had called us and told us about this pregnant woman in Curepe, who was frequently seen walking the streets.
“A team went down there and found her and had a conversation. We cannot remove anyone forcibly from the streets and this is a very serious challenge that we face among street dwellers because they are unwilling to go,” Newallo-Hosein said.
“We asked her how we could assist her and asked if she would like to be taken somewhere, where she can be cared for and she said to leave her baby alone and that we just want to take her baby away and then she ran off. So there was nothing we could have done,” she added.
When asked by the T&T Guardian if there was any legislation that could be put in place to move socially displaced people from off the streets, Newallo-Hosein replied: “I have looked at it internationally and it is a human rights issue.”
She said however, that she did visit a centre in Miami where she looked at how they dealt with the issue.
“I am in no way proposing it as yet but they have worked with the businesses and have agreed to a tax and with that tax they would take care of the street dwellers taking them off of the streets.
“If anybody is caught feeding the socially displaced, they will be charged because there is a centre that takes care of their needs and provides transitional housing,” she said.
The minister said discussions had already taken place with an NGO willing to operate a facility similar to the one in Miami.
“So, we are looking at something happening very soon because it is a problem and people, me too, are concerned.”