"No one should be left to die in the middle of Sydney, alone and unseen. That was the powerful message delivered by homelessness support worker Erin Longbottom to a crowd gathered in Hyde Park to honour Bikram Lama. The crowd gathered at dusk under the fig tree canopy of Sydney's Hyde Park, tucked behind St James station, holding electric candles in blue, red, white and purple."
"Late last year, my team and I arrived at work to the news that one of the young non-residents we had been trying to support had died. That was Bikram. Tonight we remember him. A young man who came here with hope, for study, for opportunity, and for a future. A person who lived, and struggled, and died unseen."
"St Vincent's Health, which had been attempting to assist Lama before his death, say his non-resident status made it near-impossible for him to escape homelessness. The delays have frustrated the Australian-Nepalese community, who say it is creating lingering distress for his family."
Bikram Lama, a young man from Nepal who came to Australia seeking education and opportunity, died homeless in Sydney and remained undiscovered for approximately a week. His decomposed body was found by station staff, and identification required his elderly mother to travel from her remote Nepalese village to provide a DNA sample. St Vincent's Health identified his non-resident status as a critical barrier preventing access to support services that could have helped him escape homelessness. A vigil held in Hyde Park brought together the community to remember Lama and advocate for inclusive homeless services. Homelessness support workers emphasized that vulnerable individuals should not be left to die alone and unseen, while the Australian-Nepalese community expressed frustration over delays in the formal identification process, which continues to cause distress to his family.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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