Families sleep on streets while keeping vigil at hospitals

Hospital visits in parts of South and Southeast Asia have become endurance tests for families unable to afford lodging near medical centers, forcing many to spend nights on pavements outside healthcare facilities. Relatives maintain vigils for critically ill patients, often traveling long distances from rural areas or lower-income districts, only to find themselves with nowhere to sleep when visiting hours end.

The practice is particularly common in major urban centers where hospital beds are concentrated but accommodations for families remain scarce and expensive. While some medical institutions provide basic waiting areas, they frequently lack capacity to accommodate the volume of visitors, leaving families to make do with benches, blankets, and makeshift shelters on surrounding streets.

Non-governmental organizations and healthcare advocates have begun documenting the phenomenon, highlighting how financial constraints force difficult choices on already vulnerable populations. Families often must choose between securing temporary housing and using limited resources for medical expenses, creating a cascading effect of hardship.

Some hospitals and civic authorities have begun addressing the issue through modest initiatives, including designated rest areas and partnerships with local organizations to provide affordable temporary housing. However, comprehensive solutions remain limited, with experts calling for systemic changes to healthcare infrastructure planning that accounts for the real needs of patients' families across the region.