Govt will take steps to set up elderly care: Minister

Thiruvananthapuram: State govt will take all necessary steps to build a comprehensive ecosystem for senior citizens, including establishing and nurturing quality senior care homes, said local self-govt minister M B Rajesh. He was speaking at Sherpa Senior Conclave organised by Overseas Keralites Investment and Holding Ltd (OKIH), a state govt undertaking on Sunday.K Ravi Raman, member of Kerala State Planning Board, said with the rising elderly population in state, senior living facilities would play an important role in Nava Keralam. A revised regulatory guidelines covering building rules and service agreements will be issued soon, he added.The conclave requested govt to establish a regulatory framework through Sherpa to streamline approvals under a single-window system. Participants said that this framework would enable rapid growth in Kerala's senior living sector over the next decade, attracting major national and global players.S Harikishore, secretary-Norka and director of OKIH, Asif K Yusuf, director of Loka Kerala Sabha Secretariat, and Baju George, MD of OKIH, addressed the gathering and assured govt support for implementing the conclave's recommendations.