Age-Friendly Hospital Project Got Started

KOCHI:
The age-friendly hospital project, conceptualized by Indian Medical Association as per the guidelines of World Health Organization, has been inaugurated at Renai Medicity Hospital, Palarivattam, by Dr. M K Poulose, chairman, state committee, IMA care of elderly.
This is the first time in Kerala a hospital has became an age-friendly zone. The special facilities and services as instructed by the WHO will be made available at Renai Medicity as part of the project. A separate queue will be implemented in the pharmacy only for aged people. A special group inclusive of doctors, nursing staffs and administrative department is set for the smooth running of the project at the hospital.
Dr. Varghese Cheriyan, president, IMA, Kochi, presided over the meeting. He said that, elder people deserve to be cared more and this concept of age- friendly hospital is to be spread to all hospitals in the state. Dr. Praveen G Pai, head of the project, said that, efforts are being made to convert all hospitals age- friendly and the concept of age-friendly is to be expanded from elder- friendly to all age friendly so that everyone is able to access health care without difficulty. Dr. Krishnanunni Polakkulath, medical director, Renai Medicity, Sijo V Joseph, vice president, P. Rangadasa Prabhu, President, EDRAAC, and Dr. George Mathew, Convener, IMA care of elderly, were there at the inaugural event.