Lucknow in dire need of more geriatric centres: Docs - Hindustan Times
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Lucknow in dire need of more geriatric centres: Docs

By, Lucknow
Sep 30, 2019 10:46 PM IST

International Day of Older Persons

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Sad but true. Senior citizens in Lucknow have very few options when it comes to specialised health care. There’s only one geriatric medicine OPD in the government sector (at the KGMU), which is operational just once a week.

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Lucknow, with a population of 30 lakh elderly, is in dire need of more of such facilities, said health experts.

Government hospitals do have separate counters where senior citizens can get OPD slips. But the doctors’ chambers, pathology counters, and diagnostic (x-ray etc) facilities have a single common queue for all patients.

“Waiting can at times be irritating, particularly for the elderly who suffer from chronic problems such as arthritis, heart ailment etc. Not just doctors, even the paramedical staff dealing with elderly should be trained on how to counsel senior citizens,” said Kauser Usman, HoD, geriatric medicine department, KGMU.

He runs a weekly clinic for the elderly patients, as the department sanctioned by the government is yet to take proper shape.

“I have about 40 patients in the clinic, and this is when the clinic is not formally running under the department,” he said.

Dr Abhishek Shukla, who runs a daily clinic for elderly patients at Aastha Geriatric Hospital and Hospice every day, gets over 50 patients.

“Life expectancy has gone up. By 2040, 25% of the population will be elderly. Ironically, we are not upgrading health facilities for them to match their population growth,” he said.

Dr Raman Kumar, president of the Academy of Family Physicians of India, said senior citizens just need a little assistance while they do things on their own. “It will be a great help if hospitals have social workers who can help elderly reach the right counter and reply to their queries regarding prescription and follow-up,” he said.

Dr PK Gupta, former president of Indian Medical Association, Lucknow said as per the population base, each district level hospital should now have a clinic for elderly patients.

“A separate counter at pathology and diagnostic facility will come as a big relief,” said Rakesh Sharma, a Gomti Nagar resident who had taken with him an elderly patient to hospital on Monday.

WHAT’S REQUIRED

* Separate OPD for elderly at each hospital

# Separate counter and queue for OPD and doctors’ chamber

# Social workers who can reply to their queries

# Trained para-medical staff

Elders to pedal for pollution-free environment

LUCKNOW: Senior citizens will ride bicycles and wheelchairs on Tuesday morning to spread awareness on the importance of a pollution-free environment.

The event will mark International Day of Older Persons celebrations. The citizens will start from Aastha Geriatric hospital at 9.30 am and return from Kapoorthala crossing, said Dr Abhishek Shukla, event coordinator and founder of Aastha Geriatric hospital.

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