Unproductiveyears

Former programme officer at the World Health Organization (WHO) and the chairman and founder of Village 60 Plus, Dr. Harischandra Yakandawala said that although the life expectancy in Sri Lanka is high, it is not a productive life expectancy.

“From my observations 60% of the individuals who are more than 40 years of age take medicine. By 70 nearly 90% of people take medicine. The life expectancy has increased because healthcare facilities have increased and there is treatments available for diseases,” he said.

Dr. Harischandra further said that there are no facilities to provide the registration of private healthcare services like elders homes although the elderly population is increasing and the demand for these services are increasing.

Dr. Harischandra also said that elders’ homes set up by the government and even those run by non- governmental organisations receive no concrete support and survive mostly from donations. “The government provides only Rs. 300 a month for each individual and Rs. 100,000 per month for renovation. Each person requires 90 meals per month and with medical facilities these funds are not sufficient,” he said.

Speaking further, Dr. Harischandra said that the retirement age should be increased so that the elderly remain occupied. Staying alone and unoccupied is one of the main reasons for contracting mental illnesses,” he said.

The Commissioner General of the Labour Department Mrs. V.B.K. Weerasinghe said that the retirement age was set at a time when life expectancy in Sri Lanka was around the late fifties and early sixties. “The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Act which set the retirement age at 55 with an extension of five years in 1958 has not been amended since. But even thought the Act states that the retirement age is 55, many people do not retire at that age. It is not by choice that they do this. It is a necessity for them as they cannot afford the basic commodities if they remain unemployed,” she added.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, Professor Siri Hettige, Sociology Department of the University of Colombo said that this life expectancy in [Sri Lanka] is very high for a developing country. Increasing the retiring age would not have any significant consequences as many people remain in office well