MoUs signed to improve medical care for kids, elderly

The organisations will help with medical services in government hospitals along with the National Welfare Board for services such as care for the elderly, childhood cancer treatment and suicide prevention.

In order to provide mental health services to the elderly, adequate training for doctors will be given through SCARF to provide skills development training.

Elderly psychiatry through capacity building for all medical practitioners at medical college hospitals, district HQ hospitals and PHCs will be given. Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that about 10.4 per cent of the State’s population is over 60 years. Dementia is a common in the public health sector. Therefore, providing separate treatment for the elderly in situations where stress, forgetfulness and mental health problems are increasing is important.

According to a department release, about 16,000 suicides occur in Tamil Nadu every year and the suicide rate in the last three years has increased from 18 persons per lakh in 2018 to 22 per lakh in 2020. Therefore, an MoU was signed on Friday with SNEHA, an organisation working towards suicide prevention, to define proper guidelines for suicide prevention.