NORTH LAKHIMPUR, July 14 � While most of the elderly people or senior citizens in their sunset hours leading a neglected life in many old age homes despite being wealthy, their common and poor brethren are forced to pass a miserable life without proper healthcare and counseling deemed utmost necessary for them.
According to the 2012 report of Ministry of Health, Govt. of India, one in every five people above the age of 60 is deaf, one out of three is suffering from arthritis, one out of three in rural areas has high blood pressure, two out of five are anemic, one out of ten in rural areas are diabetic, one out of four is mentally disturbed and frustrated, one out of three in rural areas is visually impaired, 32 per cent is suffering from stomach ailments. The same report also states that people above 60 years of age would increase to 20 crores by 2050 out of which 20 per cent would suffer from Alzheimer�s disease.
As the country does not have Geriatric (specialised health care for elderly people) OPD services except one in AIIMS-New Delhi, a small initiative led by a charitable trust in North Lakhimpur has opened a new horizon to address this sensitive issue. The Elders Day Care Centre, Biyaali, a physiotherapy service by Tirthewswar Hazarika Memorial Trust, North Lakhimpur has introduced a mobile healthcare service for the elderly people of the rural areas of the entire Lakhimpur district, a first of its kind in India. The service was inaugurated on July 11 in the trust�s old age care centre, Tirtha Kshetra, Derazuddin Ahmed Road, Chanmari, North Lakhimpur with the flagging off three mobile unit vehicles by Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury.
Inaugurating the service the DC said that it was a red letter day for not only in Lakhimpur district and Assam but for the entire country to have a mobile medical care service meant exclusively for the elderly people. He expressed his gratitude to be a part of the flagging off ceremony of such a great event of national importance and said that the medical care service set up by Tirtheswar Hazarika Trust would open a new era in the country.
Speaking on the occasion Iswar Prasanna Hazarika of the Tirthewswar Hazarika Memorial Trust said that the mobile healthcare services for the elderly people had been formed with active association of NRHM and initially it would cover only the rural areas of Lakhimpur district. He said that the healthcare services would be provided by three mobile medical units consisting of three state of the art ambulances donated by NEEPCO and MMTC.
Each of the mobile medical units would be comprise of one MBBS doctor, one paramedic or nurse and one mobilizer (driver). The mobile medical units would also bring physiotherapist for first hand treatment of pain, fracture and paralysis problems of the elderly time to time and would also be assisted by MPWs and ASHA workers of the State NRHM.
The Tirthewswar Hazarika Memorial Trust for the old age care centre has selected 24 centres in Lakhimpur district for these Geriatric services in which the mobile medical units would visit once in two weeks time on fixed dates. The service would remain open in the selected centres on the two-weekly fixed days from 10 am to 3 pm and would distribute free medicine after diagnosis. For persons with prolonged diseases free medicine would be distributed for two weeks time and treatment would be continued till the person is not fully cured. For pathological and radiological tests and for critically ill persons patients would be sent to the concerned Governmental hospitals by the doctors of the mobile medical unit. Particularly malaria patients won�t be treated at this service as per the Governmental instruction and such cases would be referred to the concerned Governmental hospitals. This service, meant for rural poor, neglected, isolated and impaired elderly persons would later be extended to urban areas also after receiving public response and feedback, Hazarika said.
The Mobile Geriatric healthcare service have selected Katori Chapori (Bharatpur), Naa-Pam (Nabodjwal), Angarkhowa, Banhpati, Dhakuwakhonia (Rangchali), Kumarkata, Kharkati, Teliyagaon, Kuhiyabari, Bochagaon, Panumora-Bamundolonee, Khoga, Deezoo, Garchiga, Phoolbari, Leelabari, Na-Kadam, Kadam (Laimekuri), Mohaijaan, Gharmora, Jarabari, Bholabori, Deoliya (Ghilamora) and Charaimoria as its twenty four centres for mobile medical care in Lakhimpur district.
