Govt mulls new Bill on free social services for the elderly

By Patrick Kisembo
16th February 2011
Deputy Minister Dr Lucy Nkya

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is planning to draft a Bill on free social services for the elderly, Parliament was told yesterday.

Responding to a basic questioned posed by Bukombe Member of Parliament (Chadema), Prof Kulikoyela Kahigi, Deputy Minister Dr Lucy Nkya said the law was in the pipeline.

The MP had wanted to know government plans on supporting the elderly, especially those lacking families or relatives to take care of them.

Nkya said the Bill, among other things, would propose that all elderly the be allowed to access essential social services by using special identity cards.

In the meantime, the deputy minister said the government had already directed all regional medical doctors to create a special window for the elderly and ensure that the windows have a medical doctor and professional social welfare officer.

She also informed the House that the government was implementing a lot of plans in taking care of the elderly, naming some of them, as creating special homes for them and facilitating the private sector to do the same.

Nkya said the government operated a total of 17 homes for the elderly and voluntary agents running similar centres on private basis operates an additional 24 homes are located in different parts of the country.

Additionally, she said the ministry through social welfare department provides human support like money to the elderly and assist them to establish small scale businesses.

Dr Nkya said currently, the government was preparing a social protection framework, which would be looking at basic needs of the needy groups living in difficult environments, including the elderly.

“We are working in collaboration with district, municipal, towns and city councils to ensure needs of the elderly are included in the councils’ development plans,” said the deputy minister.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN