FEDSEN Health Committee Calls For More Attention To Healthcare Needs Of Senior Citizens

Ludhiana, January 9, 2017: Voicing concern over lack of adequate attention by Central and Punjab State Governments towards special health care needs of senior citizens who constitute more than 9% of the population of the country and about 10.5% of population of Punjab, Committee for Health Care of Senior Citizens of Federation of Senior Citizens’ Associations Punjab, (FEDSEN Punjab) called upon both the Governments to give due priority to Health Care needs of senior citizens while framing their Health Care Policies and programmes. Senior citizens are more prone to health problems, which incurs expenditure. Most of the senior citizens become non earning members. In the absence of sufficient old age pension to most of them, they face lot of difficulties to maintain good health. Therefore they deserve subsidized health care and compassionate approach by the government and the society.
The Committee met under the chairmanship of Dr Arun Mitra, National General Secretary of Indian Doctors For Peace and Development and member of State Senior Citizens’ Federation. Shri S P Karkara, President of State Senior Citizens’ Federation briefed about provisions made about Health Care of senior citizens in National Policy for Older Persons 1999, Draft National Policy for Senior Citizens 2011, Draft Punjab State Policy for Senior Citizens and The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. Committee decided to send detailed comments to Government of India on Draft National Health Policy 2015 so that proper focus is laid on Medical Care needs of senior citizens.
Noting that State Senior Citizens Federation has sent detailed list of issues concerning senior citizens to political parties contesting Punjab Assembly Elections, the Committee called upon the parties to spell out clearly in their Election Manifestoes their stands about these issue including Health Care. The Committee also decided to write to about fifty Senior Citizens’ Associations affiliated with the State Federation to form their own Health Care Committees and ensure that instructions issued by Punjab Government from time to time under the Maintenance Act of 2007 are fully implemented in Govt. hospitals and dispensaries. It also decided to approach private hospitals and nursing homes to provide facilities and concessions to senior citizens in OPD, laboratory, procedures, medicines etc.
Others who attended the meeting of the Committees included Er Balbir Singh and Er R S Behal, Senior Vice President and Secretary General respectively of State Senior Citizens’ Federation, Dr Inder Mohan Chhibba, General Secretary of Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association Ludhiana and Dr S K Jaiswal, ENT Specialist and Surgeon.