Letters to the Editor: Geriatric care for senior citizens

Geriatric care is a specialized branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases in older people. It allows elderly to receive customized treatment taking into consideration their unique needs. India has 138 million elderly population (60 years and above) in 2021 which is expected to grow to 173 million by 2026.

Though Assam has over 20 lakh of senior citizens as per data of the Government of Assam, except for a Geriatric Ward in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, no dedicated Geriatric Centres are available in other government hospitals to cater to their specific needs. The situation is pathetic in private health sector also as none of the big names in private health care has facilities in Guwahati city exclusively for the elderly. Compounding the lack of infrastructure in both public and private sectors is the absence of qualified Geriatric doctors or certified geriatricians to care for ageing adults who normally have complex medical problems. Though the State government has a state policy for senior citizens 2016, promotion of Geriatric care and caregivers have perhaps not been give due importance in it as exemplified by the state of affairs prevalent in the state. It is high time the government takes prompt and decisive steps by setting up Geriatric Care Centres in all district hospitals and medical colleges and by inducting Geriatric doctors in them. Alongside, the government should introduce Geriatric courses in medical colleges of Assam to build up a pool of trained caregivers for the elderly to provide continuous and regular treatment.

The government should also make it mandatory for private sector to have Geriatric or Adult Care Wards with qualified Geriatric doctors. Presently doctors treat the elderly like normal individuals subjecting them, in the process, to unnecessary health hazards. According to a report, 80 per cent of older adults have at least one chronic disease and 68 per cent at least two. The one-size-fits all approach presently practiced by doctors to manage the medical conditions of the elderly is fraught with grave risks.

The Senior Citizen Welfare Council of the State Government has to look into the medical aspects of the growing older population along with setting up of old age homes, day care centres, mobile medical services and physiotherapy centres in all district headquarters. The government should take the lead in enabling senior citizens lead a quality life in their twilight years.

Rajib Sarma

Guwahati

Over-ambitious Mamata

We all know that TMC is a regional political party of West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, popularly addressed as Didi by her supporters, is the ruthless supremo of TMC known for her foul mouth and uncivil behaviour around the nation. With her recent success in the Assembly and civic body elections in West Bengal, she has become an all-Indian figure, ready to take on Modi headlong. From her State she has started to spread her party's tentacles to other parts of the nation like Goa. To establish herself as an alternative to Modi, she has of late become very vocal against the Centre on all issues, some of which are not supposed to be her domain like Foreign Affairs and Defence. The whole nation knows about the wonderful job done by the Central Government in the recent evacuation of Indian nationals from Kabul during the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. Now evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Ukraine is going on and all the evacuees along with their families have openly lauded the Government's efforts except her. According to her and TMC, the evacuation process is a simple gimmick and the Government's role in the UN, where India tactfully maintained a neutral stand, was also questioned. We remember that like Chandra Babu Naidu, ex-CM of Andhra Pradesh and also ex-Cabinet Minister of the then NDA Government, she was also a Cabinet Minister during the NDA Government. But due to being over-ambitious to be the PM of the nation, Naidu became history in the nation's politics. Mamata Banerjee, with her zero knowledge about global politics, should focus only on West Bengal, once the 'think tank of India'.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.