Hospitals told to be more senior friendly
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All state hospitals have been instructed to make adjustments or build new facilities that are friendly to old people in a move to mark the National Day for the Elderly, which falls on April 13 every year, Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said ye
All hospitals will provide express services for patients above the age of 70 along with counselling and medical check-ups at a lower price, he said. However, he did not provide a timeframe as to when this would be done.
The adjustments include wheelchair access to the car park and restrooms, as well as sit-down toilets instead of the squatting type. The minister, citing a study, said that there were more than 8 million people above the age of 60 in Thailand and almost all of them had at least one chronic disease.
Witthaya added that there were other projects aimed at older people that will be implemented in the next few years. These include a project promoting health for seniors by the Department of Health and a day-care centre run by the Department of Medical Services under which old people living on their own will be taken care of in government hospitals. Volunteers will also visit old people at home and free ambulances will be provided for those who are sick, he added. In addition, telemedicine will be used for people living in remote areas.
