Chandigarh administrator pushes for health policy tailored for octogenarians

May 07, 2025 09:18 AM IST

The felicitation ceremony was organised to recognise the contribution of healthcare workers engaged in delivering services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme

In a move to ensure that octogenarian citizens have convenient access to medical assistance, Punjab governor and UT administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria asked the health department to devise a policy for the same on Tuesday.

Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria felicitating health care workers during an event held at UT secretariat on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

He was addressing a gathering at a felicitation ceremony of health department at UT secretariat. In the event, Kataria said, “Above 80 years old citizens living alone should get immediate services in case of any trouble. Some volunteers should be there whom senior citizens can call in need of help like medical aid etc.” Governor further asked to strengthen the services at dispensaries in the city and lessen the burden on PGIMER and GMCH-32 with increased facilities in the dispensaries and GMSH-16.

The felicitation ceremony was organised to recognise the contribution of healthcare workers engaged in delivering services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Prior to the ceremony, Kataria visited the upgraded Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) centres at Maloya, Sector-35, Makhan Majra, and Raipur Kalan today.

The visit was part of the nationwide observance marking the transformation of health and wellness centres into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs under the Ayushman Bharat initiative. During the visit, the administrator reviewed the infrastructure, service delivery, and digital health integration at the centres.