The National Senior Citizen Center (NSCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Health to create action plans for the provision of healthcare services for older persons across the country.
The Director General, NSCC Dr Emem Omokaro, while speaking at the signing of the MoU yesterday in Abuja, said the aim of the MoU was to standardize the care of older persons with certified healthcare agencies
She highlighted different types of care for older persons to include health and social care services, domiciliary care, family care, community care, respite care, and palliative care among others saying the NSCC does not have the professional department to deal with these things which is why a MoU is important to deal with the provisions of such care for older persons.
The DG noted that the challenges facing older persons are intersecting ranging from income, insecurity, health challenges in terms of affordable, accessible, appropriate and acceptable, multi-dimensional poverty, and malnutrition.
She said all the professional bodies in the health sector are being brought together such that they can own the process and understand the statutory mandate that they are supposed to play.
Omokaro said there is a need to map out how to finance and provide innovative insurance to assist the older person to have access to health and social care services.
The Director, Head Gender, adolescent, school health and elderly division Federal Ministry of Health Dr John Ovuoraye in his remarks explained that the MoU is important to the achievement of universal health coverage.
He underscored that the agreement will create room for more robust engagement among the MDAs, such that there will be clearly defined roles and responsibilities to avoid duplication of work as well as the elimination of repetitiveness and waste of resources.
He said with the MoU, ministries will begin to have a line budget to address the needs of older persons adding that with MoU on the ground international partners will be willing to key into supporting older persons and ensure more resources are made available.
