The National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare envisages to address healthcare needs of elderly population by capturing preventive, curative and rehabilitative aspects in the field of geriatric. The objectives of NPHCE are:
- To provide an easy access to promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services to the elderly through community based primary health care approach
- To identify health problems in the elderly and provide appropriate health interventions in the community with a strong referral backup support.
- To build capacity of the medical and paramedical professionals as well as the care-takers within the family for providing health care to the elderly.
- To provide referral services to the elderly patients through district hospitals, regional medical institutions
- Convergence with National Rural Health Mission, AYUSH and other line departments like Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Further, the NPHCE operational guidelines mandate conduct of training programme for elderly health care provider at different tiers of healthcare facilities for geriatric care assistance, special care giving and support to enhance access health infrastructure.
The steps followed under the NPHCE to mitigate the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases among the elderly inter-alia include –
(i) Community Awareness: Public awareness through various channels to sensitize public about the health care of the elderly population at all levels specifically at sub center, Community Health Centre (CHC), Primary Health Centre (PHC), Regional Geriatric Centre (RGC) level and tertiary care hospitals;
(ii) Scaling up Treatment Facilities: Expansion of Screening and treatment facilities for chronic, terminal and degenerative diseases, acknowledge multiple and chronic diseases among the elderly population and ensure to reserve beds for geriatric health care in public hospitals at districts and RGCs;
(iii) Rehabilitation Counselling and Referral Services: Setting up of rehabilitation unit for physiotherapy and counselling cells at Community Health Centers onwards. Periodic clinic are organised at Primary Health Centers, Community Health Centers and regular OPD clinics are organised at District Hospitals and RGCs. Setting up of community health center as first referral unit for elderly population as other referral units apart from the last tertiary care for all the lower-tier hospitals.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. SP Singh Baghel stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
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HFW/ PQ /Update on NPHCE/19December2023/4
