Prince Aga Khan V, who has bought a one-acre plot to house the facility, discussed the plan with the chief minister on Monday but the formalities are yet to be finalised. MUMBAI: Mumbai is set to get the country’s first geriatric care hospital, a facility to be developed by Aga Khan Health Services India at Mazgaon.
“Our community has purchased a plot at Mazgaon. “We will also have a separate unit for post-operative recovery. “We will establish systems to provide continued care for geriatric patients at home after discharge. With the increasing cost of raising children and changing social patterns, including more people choosing not to marry, the elderly population is growing rapidly. Geriatric patients require special care. We need a full-fledged geriatrics hospital. Such a facility must also support mental health issues faced by older patients such as depression and anxiety.’’
“The number of senior citizens in India is growing, and around 70% of geriatric patients have chronic health conditions. “By 2050, one in every five people in India is expected to be a senior citizen.
It currently has Phillips quarters, which will be demolished to construct a geriatrics hospital,” said Amin Manekia, chairperson of Aga Khan Health Services. Most hospitals are not ideally suited to elderly patients, who may experience acute episodes and often require longer recovery periods,” said Manekia. He said elderly patients often require significantly more time to recover than younger patients. “These days, hospitals may discharge knee-replacement patients within two days, but recovery for elderly patients can take considerably longer,’’ he said. Manekia said there are a limited number of doctors in India specialising in geriatric medicine. Advances in healthcare and the availability of better-quality medication are also enabling people to live longer,” said Manekia. Avinash Supe, director of Hinduja Hospital and former dean of the civic-run KEM Hospital, said, “We have a concept of geriatric clinics, but no dedicated geriatric hospital in India. Such a hospital is the need of the hour.’’ Shailesh Mishra, founder president of non-profit Silver Innings, which works with senior citizens, said, “JJ Hospital has only a ward for geriatric patients.
The Aga Khan Health Services plans to construct a 160-bed hospital in the first phase and later expand it to 250 beds. The financial details of the project are yet to be worked out and Aga Khan Health Services will soon start applying for building construction permissions.
