FG Set To Establish Regional Geriatric Centres
The President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that his administration would establish Regional Geriatric Centres at the Tertiary Health Institutions for clinical care in line with the declaration of plan of action on Health and Aging by 2020.
President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole , made this declaration at the 1st National Summit on Healthy Ageing with Theme: ‘’Promoting the Healthcare Agenda of the Present Administration on Vulnerable Populations with focus on the Aged, recently in Abuja .
He noted that there would be training of healthcare workforce through effective collaboration and the technical support of international organisations.
According to him, there would be research on chronic diseases of the aged and community based health -social support.
”We would ensure that resources and support are provided to enable us achieve the desired results.
”We are aware that some States give free healthcare services to under-fives and women, we hope to extend these services to people over the age of 60 years.
”We must make healthcare services available to our senior citizens as part of the government appreciation and social responsibility and a way of recognising their immense contributions to national development,” he added.
The President therefore urged the Federal Ministry of Health to continue with the implementation of healthcare for the aged programme in addition to providing leadership in their work with states and development partners.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Hon. Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was represented by the Director, Hospital Services, FOMH, Dr. Joseph Amedu, pointed out that the National Policy on Healthy Ageing was the first of its kind Sub- Saharan Africa and it would serve as a policy model for the provision of healthcare to the aged in Africa.
Prof Adewole pledged that the policy would be integrated into Universal Health Coverage strategy, in order to achieve and sustain healthy ageing among rural and urban geriatric population in Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the Chairman, Nigeria Health Institutions Chairmen Forum and Chairman, Governing Board of University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Dr Sam Sam Jaja, said that the aim of the summit was to discuss the truth and beauty of healthy ageing, with emphasis on geriatric medicine.
He informed that ‘’Nigeria ranked 86th among 96 countries in the global age index 2015, which ranked countries by how well their older populations were faring. The index covers 91 per cent of the world’s population of those aged 60 and above’’.
