Nine in ten elderly people suffer from health problems

Nine in ten older persons in Moldova have health problems. Elderly persons occupy 20 percent of the beds in hospitals. Each senior citizen suffers from several chronic diseases, Minister of Health Ion Ababii affirms. According to the quoted source, the global tendency of population ageing is also characteristic for Moldova. This is why adequate policies for the support of this group should be implemented. These measures should include the organisation soup kitchens, diversification of the social services provided at home and ensuring the wide access of the elderly people to rehabilitation services in spas. According to the Minister of Social Protection and Family Galina Balmos 26 almshouses are planned to be opened in the course of 2008. According to the data provided by the National Statistics Bureau, on January 1 2007, there were more than 368,000 persons older than 65 years in Moldova and 490,000 persons aged 60 and older.