The ministry has also approved the proposal sent by the department in 2021 to upgrade the department to a 200-bed National Aging Centre on the lines of AIIMS.

About a 100 patients visit the geriatric OPD at Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), BHU every day.

Around 13 to 14 per cent of patients visiting other OPDs there are above 60 years of age, claims BHU.

HoD and nodal officer of Regional Geriatric Centre Prof Anup Singh said the Sir Sunderlal Hospital of BHU provides healthcare to a large population of about 20 crores covering eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, northern part of Chhattisgarh and southern part of Nepal.

He said the geriatric department at IMS-BHU, established five years ago, is the first department in Uttar Pradesh where MD Geriatrics is taught and the first college in the country which provides fellowship in Geriatric Rheumatology.

“With age, many diseases like weakness, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and kidney ailment, weakening of bones and amnesia start affecting the body. Such diseases in old age make it more complicated. In such a situation, it becomes very important to anticipate the symptoms of the disease. There is a need to strengthen and provide separate medical facilities for the elderly,” said Prof Singh.

He said care for the elderly is an important part of ancient Indian culture and it is a firm resolve of the Prime Minister to develop medical services for them. “In today's era, there are very few elderly people who are financially independent. In such a situation, there is a need to implement such policies so that the elderly can become financially self-reliant,” Prof Singh added.