INDIA: "Restructure National Council for Older Persons, Healthcare Facilities"

. PUNE, Maharashtra / The Times of India / January 17, 2009 By Swati Shinde, Times News Network A study commissioned by the Union government aimed at improving the living standards of senior citizens in India has recommended complete restructuring of the government-run National Council for Older Persons (NCOP), besides suggesting a special scheme for providing healthcare facilities to senior citizens. It is estimated that in the middle of 21st century, every fifth Indian will be of 60 years and above. Citing this projected rise, city-based International Longevity Centre, India (ILC-I) undertook this comparative study of national policies on older persons' in five countries including India. The study was conducted considering the policies prevalent in Australia and Japan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. A team of four experts from the ILC-I studied the policies of the countries related to the elderly sent by the respective governments and later the policies were compared by the experts, especially with reference to the policies for the elderly implemented in India. S. D. Gokhale, honorary president, ILC-I, who led the study, said, "The current government body for older persons does not seem to do anything concrete. The body urgently needs to be restructured and there should be a proper representation from the NGOs working in the field. This committee should not remain part of the ministry but could be an advisory council for the ministry. Currently, there is no accountability of what the committee does and how it functions. In fact, our recommendation is that a committee report should regularly be submitted at the Parliament and should be more of an action body than a decision-making body." Anjali Raje With expected rise in number of the elderly in near future, there are profound challenges before public institutions, including healthcare. Anjali Raje, a member of the study team, stressed: "In India and Bangladesh, the burden of healthcare for the elderly is overwhelming. The developing countries are barely able to take care of primary health of their population. In this context. the question of specialised care is still far away. Australia and Japan have given a lot of attention to healthcare for the elderly in their policies. In Australia, access to medical care is free to most of the people." After comparing the healthcare policies for the elderly, the study suggested that health services should be accessible to the elderly persons and the concept of health aging should be promoted. The ILC-I study also recommended that citizens should be motivated to invest in their housing during their earning days and in future, the layouts of the housing colonies should be such that it responds to the lifestyles of the elderly. The study also recommended that higher awareness on population aging and care for senior citizens needs to be created. "Such topics should be covered in education curriculum to strengthen intergenerational bond. Taking into consideration the rise in number in this community, information through schools, colleges and offices on aging should be circulated so that people are ready to face it in every possible manner," Raje added. The study, which received a grant of Rs 3 lakh by the ministry, also pointed that employment opportunities for all older persons, who want work, should be created and there should be full utilisation of the potential and expertise of persons of all ages. Ram Gambhir, cultural anthropologist at the University of Pune and Sharvari Shukla, bio-statistician and faculty at the Bioinformatics Centre, Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management, University of Pune, also contributed in the study. Recommendations: * There should be an annual review of the NCOP and its implementation * Accountability to the Parliament on NCOP's implementation every year be made obligatory * There should be an implementing authority for the NCOP * There should be a penal provision for non-compliance with the provisions of the NCOP * All other policies like health, housing of the country need to be reviewed to ensure that the concerns of the ageing are not excluded, thus ensuring a society for all ages * Restructuring of the National Council for Older Persons, redefining its mission and composition by making it independent of the ministry of social justice and empowerment, but having representation from the ministry in the form of the minister as the patron of the council and the secretary of the ministry as the chairperson of the council and all other concerned authorities and national NGOs. * Creating a national fund for the elderly * Legal and financial penalties for non-compliance to the measures which protect the concerns an interests of the elderly * Decentralisation of authority regarding the elderly to be made right unto the panchayat level system * Ministry's relations with international ageing institutions and NGOs need to be strengthened. Copyright © 2009 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.