Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam speaks at a working session of the National Committee on Vietnamese Old Persons to review 2019's work yesterday. — Photo thanhtra.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has instructed authorities and society to take responsibility for providing good care to the elderly.

Đam, also chairman of the National Committee on Vietnamese Old Persons, made the statement at a working session of the committee yesterday to review 2019's work.

He pointed to the need to promote the role of the elderly in consulting and supervising activities to do with Party and State policies.

The year 2020 would see efforts to mobilise the whole society to implement the insurance policy, particularly social insurance with the old being one of the targets, he said, urging Vietnam Social Security to improve the efficiency of the policy to take care of the elderly and ensure social security.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Lê Tấn Dũng said the Party and State issued many policies to provide care for the elderly over the last year.

The Government in 2019 earmarked over VNĐ17.5 trillion (US$757 million) to implement social support policies, including providing monthly social allowance and buying health insurance cards for more than 1.7 million old people.

Localities have taken the initiative to support the elderly, including by building houses, providing capital for production expansion and providing health check-ups and treatment.

Nursing, singing, dancing and other activities, where old people can work and participate, and gymnasiums and clubs where many generations help each other have been developed in many localities.

However, difficulties remain, Deputy PM Đam said. The living standards of the elderly remain low, many still have to work for a living and many live in makeshift houses.

Health check-ups and treatment activities for the elderly remained limited due to a lack of finance, he said.

He asked ministries and agencies to find solutions to tackle these difficulties.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung said the number of homeless elderly people kept increasing and suggested finding policies to encourage the private sector to invest in building health care facilities for the elderly.

As of 2019, Việt Nam was home to 11.4 million old people, accounting for 12 per cent of the population. More than 1.9 million people are over 80 years old. — VNS