The elderly population in Sri Lanka (60 years or older) is expected to double by 2040 to 24 percent. This demographic change is happening rapidly and Sri Lanka is said to be having the fastest growing aging population in South East Asia. Hence, there is an urgent need for action to be taken to promote active aging and elderly health care. By 2041, one out of every four persons in the country is expected to be an elderly person.
Sri Lanka has caught up with the aging population of Japan. The total aging people of Japan 10 years ago, is the present situation in Sri Lanka and this is an alarming situation that would disrupt the economic growth, shatter the hopes and well-being of the elderly as 70 percent workers are from the informal sector with no financial or health security benefits.
Project Coordinator, MoHNIM/JICA/ RHTC Project on Elderly Care, Angela Wijesinghe said at a recent press conference at Elderly Health Care Center, Kadugannawa that understanding the above urgent need, the Young, Elderly and Disabled (YED) Unit of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine (MoHNIM) has embarked on a very timely Elderly Care Project sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) of Nagano, Japan which focuses on developing a comprehensive plan for Elderly Health Care. Through this two-year project started in 2015, the MoHNIM is concentrating on the development of a National Health Care Policy for the elderly, in-service training for existing health personnel, model hospital plan for an Elderly Friendly Hospital and facilities at Wattala, Nawalapitiya and Kadugannawa and a Model Community Plan in the Badulla District as an initial stage to meet the above challenges.
Training of Trainers (TOT) courses are being conducted for doctors, nurses and other health care personnel to create awareness of all aspects involved in elderly care. The courses are conducted at the Kadugannawa Regional Health Training Centre (RHTC) and the Leprosy Hospital, Wattala. The MoHNIM hopes to develop the Wattala Hospital into a Centre of Excellence on elderly care. At the end of the project over 500 health care personnel would have received TOT training and they would in turn be expected to train other health care personnel in their own institutions.
The Project provided valuable equipment to the two training centres at the Wattala, Kadugannawa and Nawalapitiya Hospitals, which are now being used for the training of health care personnel. They include, elderly and disabled simulation kits, adjustable beds, wheel chairs, various types of walkers and many other requirements needed for the training.
The representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Colombo, Ryoko Tabaru, said, the National Elderly Health Care Policy has just been drafted and we have found that there are gaps to be filled in this area based on the current project. However, they are interested to implement the policy and help wherever possible, which has yet to be decided.
Dr. Kijo Deura from Japan says, an aging population scenario in Japan 10 years ago is the present trend in Sri Lanka. Dr. Deura, stationed at the Kadugannawa Base Hospital is concerned about the aging society in Sri Lanka and is interested in the diagram shift of health care system for taking care of the aging society. “Japan, having the longest life expectancy with aging and depopulation, is also now tackling these important issues as a front runner in the world,” he said.
The commitment of Dr. Kijo Deura of RHTC, Manager of the project, who has been visiting Sri Lanka almost every month to monitor the activities of the project from its inception, and, the support provided by the officials of JICA, Sri Lanka office for the success of the Project is remarkable. After numerous discussions at several stakeholder meetings, the drafting of the National Policy on Elderly Health Care has now been completed. It was uploaded onto the MoHNIM website and advertised in the national newspapers on September 17, 2016 for public comments. It will be submitted for Cabinet approval and then launched at a ceremony scheduled for January 17, 2017, hopefully, with the Minister of MoHNIM in attendance.