The Central Committee of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly (VAE) launched an Action Month for the Elderly 2020 in Hanoi on October 16.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who is Chairman of the National Committee for the Vietnamese Elderly, said that October was selected as the Action Month for the Elderly to remind society about providing care for senior citizens and upholding their role.

He attributed successes in the fight against COVID-19 to the efforts of the entire system and people from all walks of life, including the elderly.

Dam called for attention to healthcare for the elderly, as the Health Ministry’s figures show that 54% suffer from high blood pressure, 42% live with rheumatic disease and 20% with lung disease, and 18% have digestive disorders.

Apart from building hospitals and medical establishments for the elderly, he said the health sector is also providing remote health check-ups and amending and supplementing health insurance policies.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Committee for the Vietnamese Elderly and VAE Chairwoman Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said this is the sixth year the action month has been held.

With a different theme each year, the month focuses on pooling resources to care for the elderly, holding cultural-art-sports activities and contributing to improving their material and spiritual lives.

The VAE mobilised VND841.7 billion from 2015 to 2019, benefiting over 2 million senior citizens living in need.

To date, 106 central and provincial-level hospitals have geriatric departments, with over 10,000 beds in total. Some 1.9 million elderly people have been provided with healthcare knowledge, while 96% have health insurance cards.

Most hospitals give priority to those aged above 80. Several localities, like Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Vinh Phuc, earmark local budget funds for the purchase of health insurance for those aged 60-80.