Old-age predicaments

A global index released on occasion of International Day of Old Persons has ranked us higher than India, Nepal and Pakistan for the level of well-being of older people. However, our ranking as 59th among 90 countries as well as the reality on the ground suggests that we have a long way to go before we can ensure our elderly population economic security, health benefits and other necessary safety nets.
As economic compulsion and changing family structures lead to breakdowns in traditional family structures, more elderly are left to fend for themselves. Although some positive steps have been taken by the government over the years to provide support, such as the Old Age Allowance Programme or Widow's Allowance Scheme, they fail to reach a majority of the elderly who are in dire need of these social safety nets. There is still a dearth of old age homes for the elderly, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The situation is especially grave for invalid or bed-ridden citizens as there are no government or NGO-run facilities in the country that provide them any assistance. Given that the pension system only covers public servants and leaves out the vast majority of workers in the agricultural and informal sector, how are these vulnerable citizens expected to survive once they become bed-ridden? Under these dire circumstances, the government must allocate more resources towards providing systemic assistance to the elderly who, by 2025, are projected to constitute 9 per cent of the total population.