Minister urges corporate honchos to explore investment opportunities in senior care sector

Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel called upon corporate leaders on Thursday to explore opportunities of investment in the emerging field of senior care.

In her keynote address at the 1st Annual Senior Care Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Patel said the rapidly changing global demographics have resulted in a sharp rise in the demand for senior care services.

This, coupled with an increased life expectancy of the population and an increased tendency globally to have nuclear families, has further accelerated the growth in the senior care sector, she said.

"Health services are to be designed in such a way that there is a complete coordination across the thread of care providers to cure acute conditions and symptoms," she said.

 

Highlighting the initiatives of the Health Ministry, Patel said the National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE) addresses various health- related issues of the elderly people and the programme is an articulation of the international and national commitments of the government.

The programme is state-oriented and basic thrust of the programme is to provide dedicated health care facilities to the senior citizens (above 60 years of age) at various levels of primary, secondary and tertiary health care.

"The basic aim of the NPHCE is to provide dedicated, specialised and comprehensive health care to the senior citizens at various levels of state health care delivery system, including outreach services. Preventive and promotive care, management of illness, health manpower development for geriatric services, medical rehabilitation and therapeutic intervention and IEC (information, education and communication) are some of the strategies envisaged in the NPHCE," she said.

The minister further stated that NPHCE was launched in 100 identified districts of 21 states and eight regional geriatrics centres were set up in selected medical colleges as referral units during the 11th Plan period.

As on March 2018, 520 districts in 34 states and union territories had been sanctioned for provision of geriatric care services. Besides, 19 regional geriatric centres in government medical colleges of 18 states sanctioned for specialised care and training purpose.

Two National Centres for Ageing (NCA) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi and Madras Medical College in Chennai have been sanctioned to be developed as centres of excellence for geriatrics.

"In 2018-19, 79 more districts have been recommended, taking the number of districts sanctioned for provision of geriatric care services to 599 districts," the minister said.