Senior citizens get raw deal at PGI-Rohtak , seek geriatric dept

Senior citizens visiting the Rohtak PGIMS for their treatment have to face grave inconvenience due to the heavy rush of patients at the OPDs.

Although the PGIMS administration has made a provision with differently coloured OPD cards for the elderly patients and instructed the doctors and public-dealing employees to treat them on priority, but they are seldom accorded due precedence.

Senior citizens are commonly seen struggling to get their OPD cards made, consult the doctors and get investigations done at the PGIMS.

The demand to set up a geriatric department dedicated to the senior citizens has been raised time and again, but neither the institute authorities, nor the state government have considered it with empathy.

“A department of geriatric medicine needs to be set up at the apex medical institute in accordance with the policy of the Union Health Ministry. The elderly constitute nearly 10 per cent of the state population. They suffer, in particular, from certain diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer, Parkinson and cardio-vascular ailments. These diseases can be treated by doctors trained in geriatrics,” states Dr Prem Singh Dahiya, a life member of Senior Citizens Club, Rohtak, in a letter to the state Chief Minister.

Dr Dahiya, an octogenarian, says Rohtak PGIMS is ideally suited to have a department of geratric medicine as it caters to the elderly patients from different parts of Haryana as well as other states.

His views are endorsed by other senior citizens, who also assert that having a department dedicated to treat the disorders specific to old-age at the PGIMS is the need of the day.

“The elderly, especially women, have to face much inconvenience in getting treatment due to the massive crowd of patients at the PGIMS OPDs,” says Alka Rani, a senior citizen.

Contacted for comments, Rohtak PGIMS Director Dr Suresh Kumar Singhal said the provisions of separate queues, differently coloured OPD cards and special volunteers to assist the senior citizens visiting the PGIMS would be made to ensure their convenience at the institute.

“However, the establishment of a department of geriatrics does not seem feasible due to practical constraints,” he said.