Gov’t Committed to Health and Well-Being of Senior Citizens

Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Zavia Mayne, says the Government remains committed to the health and well-being of the country’s older population.

“We envision and are committed to ensuring that senior citizens live and participate actively in a society that guarantees their rights, promotes their responsibilities, recognises their capabilities and contributions, and facilitates their enjoyment of a life of fulfilment, health and security,” he said.

The State Minister was speaking on Thursday (October 21) at the virtual 45th staging of the National Senior Awards, in recognition of the outstanding work of senior citizens and their groups, volunteers, key public-sector stakeholders, and corporate partners.

“We are proud of the work of the outstanding senior citizens to be awarded here today and the many who continue to serve as unsung heroes in their communities; you have been resilient,” he said.

Noting that incidents of violence against older persons have not gone unnoticed by the Ministry and the Government, Mr. Mayne said that the revised National Policy for Senior Citizens, which will be tabled in Parliament shortly, will consider broad as well as targeted interventions to arrest this threat.

The policy, which will provide adequate social safety net protections, will be implemented over a period of 10 years and the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) will be responsible for monitoring its execution and associated programmes.

Mr. Mayne said that creating the enabling and supportive environments for senior citizens requires an all-of-Government, all-of-country approach.

“We are in this together, and yes, together we can achieve this desired goal. The support of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for the work of the Ministry, as well as the National Council for Senior Citizens, has been remarkable but more can be done.

“We cannot rest until aging… is mainstreamed into the policies, plans and everyday operations of every ministry, every department, and every agency, to improve the attitude, service delivery and experience of all clients, including employees,” he said, adding that this level of commitment is necessary to ensure the success of the revised policy for senior citizens.

During the National Senior Awards ceremony, more than 200 individuals, clubs, and corporate entities were recognised for their outstanding service to the country’s senior citizens.

Presentations were made in the categories of Outstanding Citizen Award; Excellence in Service Award, Diamond Club Award, Excellence in Voluntarism, and Excellence in Corporate Service Award.