There are almost no facilities in the Capital to treat people suffering from the condition
There are almost no facilities in the Capital to treat people suffering from the condition
Despite the fact that there are about 3.7 million people with dementia in India, there are hardly any services in the Capital for such people and their families. Although there are memory clinics attached to AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohia hosptal and some other institutes, there are no services like day care, respite care, or home care services in the Capital.
Grasping at straw: Suresh Kalmadi's claim that he suffered from
dementia was refuted by doctors. file pic
"Proposals have been submitted to both the health ministry and social justice ministry for including dementia in the next five-year plan and budget allocation made, but nothing concrete has happened till now. Only with a strong public appeal and political will, things will change .Till then millions of our affected senior citizens will continue to suffer untold miseries because of dementia," said Dr K Jacob Roy, national chairman, Alzheimer's and related disorders society of India (ARDSI).
Government apathy
ARDSI has been running several services like day care, respite care, home care, memory clinics, training of doctors and health professionals and research through its 14 chapters across the country, but not in the Capital. "A building in Srinivaspuri has been allocated for running a day care, but it's held up because of indifference of government officials. What the Capital needs is a fully functional comprehensive dementia care centre," added Dr Jacob.
According to the 'dementia India report', the first of its kind in a developing country, this number shall double by 2030.The cost of dementia care is a whopping Rs 14,700 crore; again this is expected to triple in the next 20 years. Families bear the brunt of the condition and most people are looked after in their homes under lot of financial and physical problems. Families are looking for help.
Lack of awareness
This devastating illness has affected a number of powerful personalities. "We know about George Fernandes. Recently Suresh Kalmadi was in the news because of his claim that he has been suffering from dementia. But there are many more victims in high places. Unlike in the west, most families are secretive about the condition of their loved ones, mainly because most people perceive it as a mental illness, although dementia is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain, which leaves the affected person dependent on others for daily living," said Dr Jacob Roy.
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