By Chioma Obinna

With the National Health Insurance Act, NHIA, not covering preventive care for senior citizens, stakeholders in the care for the elderly, have called for policy-driven interventions specifically designed to improve the quality of life and health of the elderly in the country.

Making the call at the 5th Anniversary of Gerocare in Lagos, Co-founder of Gerocare Solutions Ltd, Dr Ajibola Meraiyebu, regretted that Nigeria’s healthcare system had neglected the care of the elderly.

“I am not saying this because of Gerocare, but the fact is that we will all age and when we get to that age, we will wonder why we didn’t have strong policies to address this gap.

 “The NHIA is working on evolving policies and plans that will target the elderly, however, this is expensive. It is expensive because it is curative and that’s why Gerocare preaches preventive care to detect health threats early and take care of them,” he said.

Calling for the inclusion of the elderly in the federal government healthcare policies as it was done for maternal, child and adolescent health, he said it was time for care of the elderly to take centre stage through positive policies and programmes.

He said the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 3 advocated good health for all ages including the elderly, hence, the need for the government to embrace the use of technology as it would allow it to reach more people.

The Co-Founder, of Gerocare, Dr Ebi Ofrey described the organisation as a one-stop shop for elderly care as their services cover from doctor’s visits to home care and other things that the elderly need.

Ofrey said the company provides an affordable and easily accessible means for the elderly to receive regular home visits by a medical doctor in any city across Nigeria.

“Gerocare was set up to assist the elderly to maintain a healthy state, prevent health deteriorations as they grow older and improve their quality of life. 

He said stressed that promoting preventive healthcare was critical to treating 80 per cent of health-related cases.  

“We don’t just provide the care, we allow you to follow the care in real-time wherever you are.  You can look at our app and know how your blood pressure, blood sugar and every other thing going forward.  That is how we stand out”