Daily Times

Care for the elderly in Pakistan has been given a low priority status by policymakers engaged in geriatric affairs. In the changing population demographics, the problem of the survival of the elderly remains a challenge for the state when it comes to assisting them with the resources required for their well-being. With an increased poverty and dependency rate, lack of care and facilitation for the elderly and their medical neglect, there should be prime concern, both on the moral and policy level, to pay heed to the needs of the elderly. Trends show that between 1990 and 2010, there has been a rise of 70 percent to 75 percent in the population aged above 60 years and represents approximately six percent of the total population. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that about 11 percent of the population will be that of the elderly by 2025.

The UN, in its 1995 report, estimated an increase of up to 400 percent in senior populations in some Asian countries by 2025. This is an alarming figure as it will affect societal dynamics if no measure is taken now to protect and integrate the elderly into societal and economic process. There is a lesson to be learnt for Pakistan when it comes to addressing the socio-economic issues of the elderly population. However, at present, no concrete step has been taken in this regard. In fact, apart from baseline surveys, there is no such collection of data to establish the future trends of the elderly here. The lack of any concrete national policy in this regard will have adverse societal and economic affects in the future. Other countries, like India, have already started addressing the issue now and are better equipped to facilitate the future older populations by 2030.

Pakistan had in fact devised a national health policy for the elderly in 1999, whereby elders were to avail primary healthcare and prescriptions, and medical professionals were to be provided with special training on geriatric care. Unfortunately, the policy remains widely unimplemented, resulting in the medical and financial woes of the elderly. They remain neglected by the state as it fails to keep in check their changing health patterns. At the national level a Senior Citizens Bill has been prepared to be presented at the National Assembly (NA). In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Senior Citizens Act 2014 has been enabled and awaits implementation at the policy level. Punjab has started taking steps to devise policies for the elderly here.

Financially, they have very little options to avail. With a limited number of investment plans in the nation, the national savings plan offers very nominal profits on the entire life savings of retired elderly citizens, and the profit rates get lowered at the start of every financial year. The discouragement of savings not only burdens the economy, it also denies elderly citizens the right to live financially secure lives, which they rightly deserve.

According to a Pakistani demographic survey, out of the retired population here, 5.7 percent were male and 7.04 percent were female. The worst to suffer from state and societal neglect are elderly women and widows, who have no means to survive on their own and have no other option but engaging in informal work to sustain themselves. An example of how elderly women are systematically neglected is the amount of share she gets in inheritance and the inconsiderate profit margins in senior citizens’ investment plans, which have made even affluent families turn poor.

Let us suppose an expat couple has returned to Pakistan after spending their entire lives abroad, and they set up a savings account to sustain themselves and their dependents. A spouse dies and his account closes, leaving the widow with only half the income of what was previously being earned by their household. This brings a drastic change to their personal economic life, with rising inflation and the number of dependants on the widow who remains uncertain about her future and that of her offspring, if she has any.

The national savings programme, which may be the only way to survive for many elderly, has long remained under much scrutiny for constantly lowering interest rates. A large portion of the elderly population remains outside the net of financial returns, like profits or pensions. They remain engaged in laborious work and the very frail have to rely on their children to support them. Sometimes, they are left abandoned by their own families, leaving them to work odd jobs or on the streets begging. Tradition has it here that the elderly are to be taken care of by their children and any utterance on the need for establishing nursing homes for the elderly is frowned upon, perhaps the reason why there are very few nursing homes established in the country despite the fact that there is an urgent need to tackle the issue of abandoned and homeless senior citizens.

Among the human rights challenges we have in Pakistan, care for the elderly is also a major humanitarian issue both at the societal and the state level. They do not deserve the way they are treated here with neglect and without much affection. It must be recognised that they can be as productive for the economy as others if better options for savings and investments are provided to them. They are also a source of guidance for the young who can take inspiration from their wisdom through the sharing of their life experiences. They too need a voice and to be politically represented. Geriatric care must be legislatively recognised for the dignity and protection of the elderly, which they rightfully deserve.

The writer tweets at @zeebahashmi and can be reached at zeeba.hashmi@gmail.com