MINSK, 19 September (BelTA) – Over 2.3 million people over active working age live in Belarus. More than 900,000 of them are aged 70 or older, Belarus Healthcare Minister Vladimir Karanik said ahead of the nationwide conference on integrated home care services for seniors, BelTA has learned.
“Aging population, increasing life expectancy, and declining birthrate have become a global trend. The number of persons over working age has been growing in Belarus. Nowadays it is over 2.3 million people, more than 900,000 of whom are 70 or older,” Vladimir Karanik said.
These people have certain disabilities due to their age and chronic illnesses, so they are in need of medical and social assistance. Medical professional assistance is provided during hospitalization or health complications. However, these people require daily and hourly medical and social care. They should know who to turn to when they face health issues and day-to-day problems.
We need to organize the work of care providers in order to ensure an acceptable quality of life of senior citizens, the minister said. “The main objective right now is to pool efforts to create a clear system to solve medical and social problems. In this matters the government will require wide-ranging cooperation of state, public organizations, and non-governmental foundations,” he noted.
The healthcare minister believes that in the next 50 years the overall volume of needed care will only increase. This means substantial financial expenditures for the government and serious social issues. Without the integrated care system, social tensions will increase. Therefore, this issue must be addressed now. The introduction of the "medical and social assistance" concept into the new wording of the healthcare law is one of the first steps. “The draft was already discussed. I believe that it will have its first reading at the autumn session,” Vladimir Karanik said.
