‘Lack of funding’ affects council’s work

NO proper surveys or studies have been carried out to assess the impact COVID had on the older population.

This, according to Pearce Home Trust chairman and former director of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) Mohammed Hassan Khan.

Speaking to The Fiji Times, he attributed this to a lack of proper funding towards the National Council of Older Persons.

“There has not been a study or any investigation of the plight of the older persons done at the time of COVID,” he said.

Mr Khan also said the initial recommendation made by the World Health Organization (WHO) upon the formation of the council outlined a feasible $1.5 million annual grant for the council to stay afloat.

“It is about making amends, it is about addressing this in the future. This is why my statement on this is about taking ownership or responsibility that we need to address the plight of the older persons. That is the point I want to make, and that they are seriously being left behind and as a member of the National Council of Older Persons, I can say that the National Council of Older Persons have been inactive or impotent organisation.

“First and foremost, they have not been given the necessary funds right from the beginning to really put themselves up, with the necessary staff et cetera and then it again goes back to the Ministry of Economy, which has given a very token sum to the National Council of Older Persons to operate.”

Mr Khan claimed this affected older persons in general as a lot of the issues and concerns they had went unheard.

“The Constitution talks about social justice and you’re addressing them in the budget vis-à-vis the older persons. Then I think there is something definitely wrong in the system.”