Process on to identify specially abled, bedridden senior citizens

Taking note of this, the UT Administrator instructed the Health Department to prepare a special plan focused on the care of such elderly individuals.

Initially, the idea was to include all elderly citizens, but the department realised that the need was to provide services to those who needed them the most. Therefore, the department has now started a process of line listing to identify and prioritise elderly people who live alone, are specially abled, are bedridden and unable to move on their own.

According to Dr Suman Singh, Director of Health, data is currently being collected to identify such patients.

Once the data is compiled, the department will be able to determine how many elderly individuals fall into this category, and services will be launched accordingly.

In February, during a meeting of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS), the issue of elderly patients coming to hospitals without any attendant was raised.

To address this concern, it was decided that six caretakers or attendants would be appointed in hospitals to assist such patients.

These caretakers will help them with wheelchairs, getting medicines, undergoing tests, and other hospital-related tasks.

The committee also discussed appointing data entry operators (DEOs) for registration counters and a proposal to provide free emergency treatment for the first 24 hours at GMSH-16 on a pilot basis.

All these services will begin once they receive approval from the governing body.

The goal is to ensure that elderly people do not have to rely on anyone in the event of a medical emergency.

Along with ambulance services, they will be provided with other basic health facilities. For a long time now, the hospital has been striving to meet the essential needs of patients, whether it’s providing privacy between beds in the gynaecology ward or enhancing online services.