The dreaded coronavirus has sent people scurrying into their homes to escape infections. While the virus is a potential threat to the entire mankind, the senior citizens, most vulnerable of all, are alarmed and worried, fearing the worst.
“We have a large number of old couples living alone as their children are settled abroad. They live in a constant pain of emotional void in their lives and the outbreak of COVID-19 has compounded their problems. The servants they rely on for their food and medicines have all left in view of the lockdown, leaving them high and dry,” says Mothukuri Venkatesawar Rao, associate president of Andhra Pradesh Senior Citizens Welfare Association.
‘Form colony committees’
The office-bearers of the organisation have been receiving SoS calls from some of the hapless seeking immediate supply of food and medicines. “They are in dire straits and the government needs to respond immediately,” says Mr. Rao, who sees an answer in constitution of colony and street committees with the assistance of local NGOs for both, maintaining a constant vigil in the lockdown hours and also to reach out to the needs of the elderly lot. “Workers engaged to deliver food and medicines to them could be given ID cards,” he suggests.
Mr. Rao also expressed serious concern over the condition of inmates in the 40-odd homes for the aged in Krishna district alone. He said though some of them are not registered, but in view of the current crisis, the government should initiate immediate steps for delivery of food and medicines at their doorstep.
‘Supply commodities’
Lockdown has hit old-age homes that largely depend on public donations by organisations like Rotary, Lions and Vasavi Clubs besides other NGOs and individual donors. Keerthy Bollineni, president of Vasavya Mahila Mandali, that runs Dandamudi Veeraraghavaiah and Sarojini Devi Home for the Aged, located opposite Village Secretariat building in Gosala, through her twitter handle on Sunday, urged the government to implement a centralised system for supply of essential commodities to the homes through the Civil Supplies Department.
Kodali Venkataratnam, secretary of Senior Citizens Forum, that runs a partially-funded old-age home at Kanuru, says anticipating a lockdown, the Forum stocked up groceries and other material needed for smooth run of the home for the next one month.
“People have been advising me to send the inmates to their respective homes during the lockdown period. But most of them here are from cities like Chennai and Hyderabad and can’t manage in this difficult situation. So far we have managed things and I hope we would continue to do so,” says Sheela Cherukuri, who runs Amma Old Age Home at Kesarapalli.
Assistant Director of the Department of Senior Citizens and Disabled Welfare Narayana Rao hopes that the problem would not escalate, all preventive measures were being taken at the government-run old-age home in Machilipatnam that gives shelter to over 40 people.
