Strengthening Geriatric Care for Healthy Ageing Beyond 60

In the context of the International Day of Older Persons 2026, commemorated annually on 1 October, the Ministry of Health and Wellness organised, yesterday, a Geriatric Care Training Session for healthcare staff on the theme “Healthy Ageing Beyond 60 – Understanding and Application of International Guidelines”, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Rose Belle.

The training session was attended by the Junior Minister of Health and Wellness, Ms Anishta Babooram, as well as healthcare professionals, including specialists, general practitioners, nursing staff, healthcare assistants, dentists and allied health professionals.

The session was delivered by the Officer in Charge of the Geriatric Medicine Unit and Specialist in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, Dr Shiv Seegobin.

In her opening remarks, Ms Babooram emphasised the need to progressively adapt the healthcare system to address the challenges associated with an ageing population. She highlighted the significant improvement in life expectancy in Mauritius since Independence, noting that around 280,000 Mauritians are currently aged 60 years and above.

The Junior Minister also underlined Government’s efforts to strengthen geriatric care services across the country. In this context, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has, this year, designed, launched and operationalised 10 Acute Care of Elderly (ACE) Wards across the five regional hospitals, comprising five male and five female wards, she stated.

According to her, the training session forms part of ongoing efforts to promote healthy ageing, strengthen the quality of care provided to older persons and enhance healthcare professionals’ capacity to apply international guidelines in geriatric care.

It is to be noted that the ACE Wards are equipped with adapted infrastructure and equipment and provide multidisciplinary specialist and allied health care. A weekly Geriatric Care Training Programme is also being conducted at each regional hospital to strengthen the capacity of healthcare staff in the management and care of older persons. In addition, Standard Operating Procedures have been developed and launched in collaboration with the World Health Organisation to ensure that geriatric care services are aligned with international norms and standards.

01 October 2026

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Topics: Health