It seems hard to believe, that in the midst of one of Sydney’s busiest central train stations, thousands of people could walk past the dead body of another human.
And yet, that’s exactly what happened last December at St James Station, beside Hyde Park.
Bikram Lama, a young Nepali man, had been living at the station. With little more than a sleeping bag to his name, Lama lived in the periphery of commuters passing through each day.
As originally investigated and reported by The Guardian, Lama had moved to Australia to study, carrying with him hopes of building a better life.
While the circumstances that led him into homelessness remain unclear, his experience reflects an all-too-familiar narrative faced by migrants navigating life in Australia - particularly those without strong support networks.
Rebecca Mitchell, a Professor at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, leads the Health and Societal Outcomes research stream.
She says the circumstances surrounding Lama’s death reflect broader systemic and social issues. Not only in how homelessness is experienced, but in how it is perceived.
“I think it's due to a range of things, but partly due to the normalisation of homelessness,” Mitchell explains.
“We get used to seeing people experiencing homelessness, living on the street especially in and around cities."
Back in his home country of Nepal, Lama’s family have also been trying to understand how and why his death went unnoticed for so long.
“If you're not an Australian citizen or belong to a country that has reciprocal Medicare arrangements, it can be difficult for someone experiencing homelessness to access health care,” says Mitchell.
“This might mean different ethnic groups don’t have access to health services within Australia or are even aware of what services might be able to help, which can create issues on its own.”
In the search for answers, Lama’s death has also prompted renewed debate about what meaningful change should look like.
Sydney’s peak business group called for the establishment of a dedicated safety taskforce, aimed at improving coordination between authorities, outreach services and transport staff to better support vulnerable people in public spaces.
Sydney’s peak business group have called for the establishment of a dedicated safety taskforce. Photo: imamember/gettyimages
But Mitchell emphasises that long-term solutions are needed - particularly when it comes to integrated and preventive health care and other supportive services.
“Many people are facing homelessness due to the reduced availability of social and affordable housing,” Mitchell explains.
“Even when someone does gain access to social housing, the tenancies don’t offer integrated health care, particularly mental health care, and other kinds of support to tenants.
“There's also a lack of preventive health care services for people experiencing homelessness. This means that over time, they can be more likely to be admitted to hospital or readmitted.
Research reinforces this pattern.
Mitchell points to her own data showing that among 2,500 people experiencing homelessness who attended psychiatric clinics in Sydney hostels, 87 per cent had been admitted to hospital.
“That is quite a high proportion and means it’s also costing the health system and taking a toll on their health. That money could probably be better supported by putting it into assisting them to gain housing and supportive post-discharge care arrangements.”
Beyond government and policy failures, Lama’s death also forces hard questions about the role we all play in responding to people experiencing homelessness.
Mitchell says while many argue homeless people are ‘invisible’ or hidden, the plight of Lama suggests that people who saw him, while registering he may be unconscious or extremely unwell, chose to pass by a fellow human being who is in need.
She encourages us all to have the courage and empathy to check-in on those living in the streets around us.
“We can also stigmatise and stereotype people, which can lead to dehumanising those experiencing homelessness.” says Mitchell.
“Having those conversations with people who are experiencing homeless can definitely reduce the stigma and the stereotypes.”
“Because often, this is something that they are experiencing through no fault of their own.”