VIJAYAWADA: The State government is taking decisive measures to bring specialised healthcare services directly to the doorsteps of the elderly rather than waiting for them to visit hospitals, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced on Wednesday.
For the International Day of Older Persons (October 1), the Minister outlined an extensive continuum-of-care framework spanning from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to District Hospitals, designed to cater to the medical, psychological, and rehabilitative needs of senior citizens across the state.
He revealed that specialised geriatric services are being conducted every Thursday at all PHCs statewide, where senior citizens undergo routine screenings, with those requiring advanced intervention being referred to higher-level facilities.
Dedicated geriatric wards have been established across all District Hospitals and Area Hospitals to offer inpatient care, mobility assistance, and physiotherapy services.
Official data shows that over 1.10 crore medical screenings, were delivered to individuals aged 60 and above in the 2025–26 fiscal year. In 2026–27, the health department has recorded 52.79 lakh outpatient, inpatient, and rehabilitative services for elderly.
Furthermore, Multi-Rehabilitation Workers attached to Community Health Centres have been mandated to conduct weekly home visits for at least five bedridden or mobility-impaired elderly persons to provide physiotherapy and care.
To address vulnerable institutionalised populations, specialised medical teams—comprising general physicians, psychiatrists, gynaecologists, and mental health experts—conducted a comprehensive health assessment across 74 government-recognised old age homes in State.
A survey found 18.8 per cent of elderly residents had clinical depression, 9.8 per cent frequent falls, 7.5 per cent memory or cognitive impairment and 2.1 per cent overlapping memory loss and depression. Another 6.4 per cent had multiple geriatric conditions and many struggled with daily tasks.
From October 1, it will launch a month-long statewide screening drive. District and Area Hospitals will assess at least 1,000 elderly patients each.