Elders are conscious of their rights - LAC Chairman

Sarath Malalasekera

Over two million voters are over sixty years of age. The elders are now organised and conscious of their rights.

Their vote will be crucial in future General Elections in Sri Lanka, said a senior member of the National Council of Elders and the Legal Aid Commission (LAC) Chairman S.S. Wijeratne. Wijeratne was addressing the elders at the Wennappuwa Divisional Secretariat recently.

The meeting was organised in coincidence with the World Elders Day which fell on October 1.

Sri Lanka's four highest positions are occupied by the elders or those who are above 60 years. But the allocations made to empower elders through National Council of Elders and Provincial Directorates of Social Services are grossly inadequate and need to be rectified.

According to a recent World Bank report Sri Lanka is the fastest aging country in the developing world with population figures comparable with the richest countries in the world. Sri Lanka should be justifiably proud about this demographic achievement, the LAC Chairman said.

He emphasised that despite the unique increase in the elders' population, Sri Lankan Medical colleges and health authorities have failed to establish elders medicine or geriatrics teaching in Sri Lanka.

It is encouraging that four Australian geriatricians were invited to the annual meeting of the College of Physicians held in Colombo last week to discuss the importance and relevance of the subject. Provincial Minister Piyasiri Ramanayake, the Provincial Secretary, Representatives from the religious organisations and member of the Wennappuwa Elders Societies also spoke.