UNB, Dhaka :
Observing that the problems of ageing are largely being ignored senior citizens demanded that the government enact a law to ensure the rights and welfare of the old.
They also urged the government to establish a full-fledged geriatric institution to ensure better health care to the aged and to facilitate higher education and training on geriatric.
The demands came at a discussion, organised by Bangladesh Association for the Aged and Institute of Geriatric Medicine (BAAIGM) at Bangladesh Probin Hospoital, marking its 54th founding anniversary on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) chairman Amanullah Khan said the cabinet in November approved the draft ‘National Policy on Elderly People 2013’, which now awaits the Law Ministry vetting.
He urged the government to quickly finalise the policy and the action plan for the implementation of the policy.
The Cabinet on November 17 approved the draft of the ‘National Policy on Elderly People 2013’ recognising those aged 60 and above as ‘senior citizens’ of the country and ensure their rights and welfare.
Amanullah Khan, who is also a former president of BAAIGM, noted that although the rights of the older peoples have been recognised and given legal base in most other countries, Bangladesh is still lagging behind in this regard.
He said, the problem of ageing must be dealt with more seriously in coming days as the ratio of the older people in the total population is increasing. Khan also urged the government to move to establish a full-fledged geriatric medicine institution to impart health care, education and training on the subject.
He said, a geriatric institute is badly required to deal with various health complications of the increasing population of the older peoples’, particularly for those who are both poor and old.
“Although the founder president of this association (BAAIGM) Dr AKM Abdul Waheed took the initiative to establish a full-fledged institution to address the special problems of ageing long time ago, the issue had not been given much attention,” he said.
“The Planning Ministry also approved a project to establish a high-capacity geriatric institute a few years back, but no further progress has been made after that,” he said.
Observing that the problems of ageing are largely being ignored senior citizens demanded that the government enact a law to ensure the rights and welfare of the old.
They also urged the government to establish a full-fledged geriatric institution to ensure better health care to the aged and to facilitate higher education and training on geriatric.
The demands came at a discussion, organised by Bangladesh Association for the Aged and Institute of Geriatric Medicine (BAAIGM) at Bangladesh Probin Hospoital, marking its 54th founding anniversary on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) chairman Amanullah Khan said the cabinet in November approved the draft ‘National Policy on Elderly People 2013’, which now awaits the Law Ministry vetting.
He urged the government to quickly finalise the policy and the action plan for the implementation of the policy.
The Cabinet on November 17 approved the draft of the ‘National Policy on Elderly People 2013’ recognising those aged 60 and above as ‘senior citizens’ of the country and ensure their rights and welfare.
Amanullah Khan, who is also a former president of BAAIGM, noted that although the rights of the older peoples have been recognised and given legal base in most other countries, Bangladesh is still lagging behind in this regard.
He said, the problem of ageing must be dealt with more seriously in coming days as the ratio of the older people in the total population is increasing. Khan also urged the government to move to establish a full-fledged geriatric medicine institution to impart health care, education and training on the subject.
He said, a geriatric institute is badly required to deal with various health complications of the increasing population of the older peoples’, particularly for those who are both poor and old.
“Although the founder president of this association (BAAIGM) Dr AKM Abdul Waheed took the initiative to establish a full-fledged institution to address the special problems of ageing long time ago, the issue had not been given much attention,” he said.
“The Planning Ministry also approved a project to establish a high-capacity geriatric institute a few years back, but no further progress has been made after that,” he said.
