KARACHI, July 10: Geriatrics, the medical care of old people, should also be included in the curriculum of the medical colleges and adequate awareness be created about this discipline in the country.

This was stated by the chief patron of the Geriatric Care Foundation, Qutubuddin Aziz, and president, Dr. Raana Mahmood, while speaking at a news conference at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.

They said that parents and the older people suffer numerous problems as their children leave for abroad either for pursuing higher education or jobs or they prefer to live separately.

Qutubuddin Aziz called for taking steps for the socio- economic rehabilitation of the old people in the country who are seven per cent of the 140 million population of Pakistan.

Dr. Raana said that the GCF had carried out resea-rch into the problems being faced by the older people in the country.

She said that her Foundation had made arrangement for the provision of free medical treatment to the older people.

Dr. Haroon Rashid, an eye specialist at the LRBT, was also present.—APP