KOCHI: Seventy-five-year-old Antony walked through the gates of the Maharaja’s College Ground Metro station unassisted. With the support of his walking stick, he was waiting for his turn at the lift to the platform when he saw the escalator. He shrugged off any help offered while getting on the elevator. Though wobbly at the beginning, he managed to get to the top floor. “I was working in the medical field and retired in 1997. My wife died 10 years ago and my children are abroad,” he says as he reaches the platform.
To mark the International Day for Older Persons, 50 inmates of Signature AgedCare in Kochi travelled on the Kochi Metro from Maharajas College to Aluva and back on Monday. And Antony was one of them. As the senior citizens were silently rushed (at their own pace) into the Metro with the help of volunteers, nurses and KMRL staff, their faces showed excitement, like the faces of children on the first day of school.
As the 50 of them disembarked on their journey, their nurses, caretakers and a few volunteers joined them on the metro. “For the inmates, this is their first metro ride,” says Joseph Alex, managing trustee of Signature AgedCare. On the metro, Antony was quiet in his seat. Another inmate K V K Menon was urging the friendly nurse sitting nearby to click a selfie with him. And she happily did. Another inmate whose name was not revealed was taking down the names of the stations.
They were provided food and refreshments on the way. On reaching Aluva, the team returned to Maharajas College on the same metro. Signature AgedCare is a home for the aged and terminally ill. “We have a total of 75 inmates. Of them, 50 took the metro,” says Joseph.