Elderly exempt from fees at Sharjah clinics

sharjah — Elderly and special needs no longer have to pay the fee at municipality clinics in Sharjah.

Sharjah Municipality has taken a series of measures for the welfare of the elderly and special needs people, the two marginalised sections of the society, which also includes exemption from waiting in the queue at the clinics, free entry to parks and membership card for wheel chair service.

The unique initiatives were taken based on instructions from His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, with an aim to prepare the emirate to be part of the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Countries (GNAFCC).

Dr Shaikh Rasha Al Qasimi, director of health and central laboratory of Sharjah Municipality, said that the municipality is striving to meet the needs of their older residents and people with special needs. The civic body offers the elderly and special needs people ‘consideration’ service at the municipality clinics to help them have the access to the services quickly without waiting in the queue. Also, these two sections of the society are exempted from fees for the clinic and entering the parks.

The municipality also provides wheel chairs to the special needs and elderly if they approach the municipality for the service. The elderly would be received by the municipality employees who would get their job done, including a membership card for wheel chair.

Hassan Al Tafaq, director of environment and agriculture section at Sharjah Municipality, said that his section has planted 60 trees for elderly in the parks. The section also provides free sewage pumping services for the elderly.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com