Senior citizens assured of special treatment at GHs

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The Madras High Court Bench here has closed a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the State government to open special wards for senior citizens in all district hospitals, constitute maintenance tribunals in every revenue sub division besides implementing all other welfare measures contemplated under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

A Division Bench of Justices S. Nagamuthu and M.V. Muralidaran closed the PIL petition, pending since 2013, after recording submissions made by the Health and Family Welfare Secretary listing outinstructions issued by him on February 27, 2012 directing Joint Directors of Health Services to scrupulously follow the guidelines with respect to treatment of senior citizens in government hospitals.

As per the guidelines, special attention should be given to senior citizens when they approach government hospitals for treatment, separate beds should be provided to them and a separate queue be formulated in the Out-Patient department for issuing OP chits. Such exclusive queues for the senior citizens should be formed even at the laboratories and at the counters where the drugs would be handed over to the patients.

PIL petition seeking a direction to the State Government to open special wards for senior citizens was closed