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Banjul
- A facility that is being dubbed the first old people's home in Africa
has been inaugurated in The Gambia. The facility located in Bakoteh is
perceived to be a "providential answer" for the predicament of
old members of society who may find it difficult to enjoy the care and
attention of hospitals already overstretched by the teeming number of
younger people needing their services. Speaking at the inauguration the vice
president Isatou Njie Saidy who deputized for the president re-echoed
predictions that by 2050 there will be 2000 million people particularly
the elderly and the Gambia provides one of the fastest growth rate for
such category of people. Mrs. Saidy claimed that the government
has provided access to health facilities, for every citizen of the Gambia
stating that medicals have been provided for the poor especially destitute
older people in all government hospitals and health facilities in general. Elderly people are often deprived of
decent health conditions due to the socio-economic situation in their
lives, she said. She also vowed that The Gambia government would ensure
that in implementing the habitat agenda, the right to provide housing
facilities for all would be in the foreground. Mrs. Saidy stated that the needs of
older persons are particularly pressing for the government, a fact that
will not be overlooked in the national policy document on the elderly. She
revealed that they have already finalised the issue of employment and
income security for older persons. "We should not underrate cultural
and traditional values where issues relating to elderly peoples are
concerned because they play critical roles in our lives" she
observed. The Secretary of State for Health and
Social Welfare Dr Yankuba Gassama said "we are living in a changing
world with several challenges to surmount, the most pronounced challenge
which is the HIV/AIDS scourge that is affecting the most productive age
groups of 15 to 49 years". He stated that more productive younger
people are dying while older people are left to provide support to
orphans. Dr Gassama said that the death of young productive people due to
Aids means more economic burden for older persons, which leaves a negative
effect on their general welfare. He revealed that the Social Welfare
Department has already put in place long-term plans to directly address
issues that affect elderly persons and some of the initiatives, he said
includes free provision of mobility aids and rehabilitation services,
relief assistance to them and the introduction of day care and residential
facilities. The complex had cost D3.27 million to
build with the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare and
Gamworks providing the funds. John William Emanuel, who is one of the
first elders to benefit from the facility, said he is immensely grateful
for the attention and care given to the old and infirm by the government. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
