10 seats reserved for elderly in district hospitals
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 20 2023:
NCD Division, National Health Mission (NHM), Manipur and Directorate of Health Services in association with NCD Division, District Health Society (DHS), Imphal West under the aegis of National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE) observed the International Day of Elderly 2023 on the theme 'Fulfilling the promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons' at Community Health Centre (CHC), Wangoi on Friday.
Health Services director Dr Kh Sasheekumar Mangang, Imphal West CMO Dr L Joykumar and RIMS psychiatry department's professor Dr RK Lenin attended the observance as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Addressing the gathering, NPHCE state nodal officer Dr L Tilakeshwari said that NPHCE was implemented in the state in 2016-17 under which 10-bedded geriatric wards were operationalized in seven district hospitals in the first phase.
In the latter phases, such geriatric wards have been opened in the district hospitals of Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Chandel, Senapati and Ukhrul districts too.
Now, every district hospital in the state has 10 reserved seats for elderly people, she said.
In the follow-up activities of the programme, physiotherapy services for elderly people have been added in all the district hospitals and select CHCs and HWCs.
There are also weekly geriatric clinics in all the district hospitals apart from opening separate OPD counters for elderly people.
Elderly care services have also been introduced at HWCs from 2018, while CMOs, ANMs and ASHA workers are providing home-based care to elderly patients.
However, the home-based care service for elderly patients have been covered under CM's Health for All Scheme from 2022.Doctors and physiotherapists engaged in geriatric care are trained at RIMS.
Moreover, direct linkage has been created with NCD programmes for free drugs and free diagnostics, she added.
NCD state nodal officer and health department's joint director (planning) Dr Y Premchandra and PLANACT president Padmashree L Nabakishore also spoke on different topics related to elderly people and their care at the event.
A free health check-up camp for elderly people was also organised as part of the programme in the morning.
Gifts were presented to the participating elderly people while healthcare staff of different districts were encouraged with presentation of awards for their exemplary services.
Later, an entertainment programme was held to light up the mood
of elderly people.