KOTA SAMARAHAN: GeKo (Community Geriatrics) services will be expanded in health clinics throughout the state to ensure all elderly residents of Sarawak receive fair treatment.
The Ministry of Health (KKM) provides services for the elderly in health clinics, and in Sarawak, health clinics implement GeKo services, which are integrated and comprehensive services for the elderly at the community level.
“GeKo aims to treat elderly people who are at risk or ‘pre-frail,’ to prevent complications through specialised care and maintain the independence of the elderly in the community,” said Women, Early Childhood and Community Well-being Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
She said this at the opening of the Samarahan 2023 International Day of the Elderly here yesterday.
“Aging is a challenging process. This challenge is not limited to the elderly, but it also affects the people around them.
“The challenges that need to be met at old age directly create anxiety among the elderly themselves and they include financial, social, physical and psychological aspects,” she said.
“In order to face the challenges of population aging, concerted efforts need to be mobilised in formulating medium and long-term plans and strategies to ensure inclusive and comprehensive development programmes take into account the dynamics of changes in current life patterns,” she added.
Fatimah said the 2023 World Senior Citizens Day celebration at the Samarahan division level will be a vital venue for empowering Sarawak’s senior citizens.
“Sarawak has the fourth highest life expectancy in Malaysia (74.3 years), and Kuching has 30 per cent of the elderly, followed by Miri and Sibu,” she said.
According to forecasts, Sarawak will become an aged state by 2028 when the proportion of senior individuals aged 60 and above reaches 15 per cent of the overall population in the state.
“Therefore, in preparation, the government has put the welfare and interests of the elderly as a priority,” added Fatimah.
