Govt plans unified care system for elderly, disabled people

Bhubaneswar: The state plans to set up a centre of excellence - Odisha Resource Center for Ageing & Divyangjan (ORCAD) - to oversee welfare of the elderly and differently abled population and anchor a statewide multi-tier system for ageing and disability governance.Proposed by the social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities (SSEPD) department, the centre will monitor implementation of schemes and services meant for both groups and ensure that no individual is left outside the govt’s social security net. A high-level consultative meeting on the proposed centre was held on Wednesday.Officials said the centre will follow a lifecycle approach and track a child born with disability from birth. A similar tracking system will also cover children who develop disabilities later in life and elderly people who become disabled with age.“Currently, several departments run different schemes and services for the differently abled and elderly population. Due to structural gaps, many beneficiaries either fail to avail the benefits meant for them or have to run from one office to another. ORCAD will coordinate across departments and institutions to help this vulnerable population access schemes and services,” an official said.The proposed model includes a four-tier structure from gram panchayat to state level, for service delivery and governance, along with a unified data and Care ID system to track individuals across services. Each beneficiary will be assigned a Care ID to monitor implementation of schemes and services.At the meeting, principal secretary Suresh Kumar Vashishth stressed the importance of developing responsive and inclusive systems to address complex and intersecting needs emerging from demographic transition.The centre is expected to strengthen convergence among departments such as health & family welfare, school & mass education, higher education, Mission Shakti, panchayati raj & drinking water, and women & child development.Director Parul Patawari said ORCAD is envisioned as a knowledge and resource hub to support research, capacity building and policy innovation. She stressed the need for institutional mechanisms that can translate data and insights into effective and scalable interventions while embedding inclusion within the state’s governance architecture.