PUNE: Portea Medical, India’s leading consumer healthcare provider, recently conducted health checkup camps for the elderly in partnership with InnoVen Capital, a firm that provides venture debt. Under the partnership, 26 health camps were organized at multiple NGOs across four cities.
The camps provided lab packages and doctor consultations for 770 senior citizens in Bengaluru (380), Mumbai (150), Hyderabad (140), and Kolkata (100).
As per a recent report, about 93% of the Indian workforce is in the informal sector. This leaves them with no social security in old age, a problem that afflicts women the most, who along with SCs, STs and the poor remain the most vulnerable in the later years of life.
[1] Issues such as income insecurity, lack of adequate access to quality health care, and isolation are more acute for the rural elderly, as per the same report. Not only are they abandoned by their families and face neglect but also suffer from various health issues due to lack of adequate and timely care.
These health camps were thus aimed at addressing these issues and in the process, formally identifying and recording these health issues. They further focused on providing long-term intervention, rehabilitation and continuous care for the elderly. The camps were organized at Gandhi Old Age Home, Fathima Old Age Home and HelpAge India across the 4 cities.
As part of the camps, doctors provided advice, wrote out prescriptions and provided basic medicines. Various health talks were also organized to create awareness among the senior citizens on why it is imperative to undergo regular health checks. Apart from blood tests, and consultations based on test reports, Portea also distributed free Medical Kits to the NGOs.
With this preventive medical intervention, the elderly will get an opportunity to receive ongoing care in the future further translating to dignified elder care management in India for disadvantaged societies. It is hoped that more organizations will come forward, taking this as an example, and help in providing better lives and continuous access to healthcare for this section of society.
[1] Caring for our elders: Early response India Ageing Report 2017
