A Public Health Physician, Dr. Taiye Omojasola, says the plan by the Federal Government to establish regional geriatric centres to provide clinical care for the elderly in the country is a waste of resources and duplication of efforts.

He argued that rather than establishing regional geriatric centres, the government should use the money to strengthen existing structures at the tertiary institutions and set up geriatric units in those that do not have.

Omojasola, with interest in the care of the elderly, stated this during an exclusive interview on Tuesday, adding that the plan would not solve the problem of the elderly in Nigeria.

Coordinator, Healthcare Package for Improving Quality Care on Ageing Population in Nigeria, Dr. Saidu Dumbulwa, had during this year’s International Day of the Older Persons celebrated every year on October 1, announced plan by the Federal Government to establish regional geriatric centres.

“At this moment, I am telling you that as far as the clinical care is concerned in trying to align to the health system, the global health system on the health care of the older persons; we have planned to actually establish regional geriatric centres that will address this issue of gross inadequacy of the workforce.

“As we are forging ahead to achieve the 2020-2030 Sustainable Development Goals, we cannot achieve that without focusing on the elderly people with their population of over 15 million Nigerians that are over 60 years of age”, Dumbulwa had said.

But Omojasola, who is the Medical Director of Omolola Specialist Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, said, “Establishing regional geriatric centres is a  duplication of efforts and waste of resources.

“Rather than doing that,  the government should strengthen existing structures on ground in our tertiary  institutions and create geriatric units in those that do not have.