SUPPORTED GROUP FOR ELDERLY DOCTORS (SGED)

Support Group for Elderly Doctors is one of the societies under MMA.

It was formed in October 1999, by a group of doctors led by Prof. Myint Myint Khin.

Objectives:  To support and render help to doctors above the age of 70 years in three identified areas viz.,

1. Financial
2. Social
3. Services

The elderly doctors register as Senior Members at the SGED office free of charge, and at present there are over 500 registered members.

The card holder will be recognized as a senior member among doctors, given courteous reception, professional respect and priority attention.

At present there is a 13member panel of consultants / specialists who will attend to the senior members free of charge. 

Financial Support

Currently financial support is provided to the senior members as follows:

Ks. 200000  –  for illness / hospitalization

Ks. 100000  –  when a member deceased

Ks. 100000  –  for each cataract operation

Social Support          

         Social support is provided to the senior members in the following forms:

1. Social Visits – Monthly social visits are made by members of SGED to the homes of those who are bed ridden, wheelchair-bound, lonely or depressed, presenting them with gifts, such as food, fruits, ensure, books and vitamins etc. worth about Ks. 50000.
2. Social Gathering  –  Get-together buffet lunch is arranged for the senior  members twice a year.
3. Mass Walk – Once a year, SGED arranges group walk around the Kandawgyi Lake during the last week of December or first week of January to  celebrate the month of sports.

Services Support

1. 1. Medical Screening – Annual medical checkup is arranged for the senior members in October in eight specialist hospitals, consultants, physicians and radiologists providing free service. Basic medical investigations (Chest X’ray, ECG, Blood for CP, RBS and Ultrasound) are provided free of charge by the hospitals and discounts also given for some special investigations. Usually over (100) senior members come for such screening.
   2. Health Talks

Health talks with respect to the health of the elderly doctors are arranged monthly at the Day Care Centre, and usually senior members, EC members and those who are interested in the topics attend such talks.

1. 1. Balanced diet for the elderly
   2. Bone and joint problems in the elderly
   3. Life style diseases in the elderly
   4. Dementia
   5. Alkaline diet
2. Vaccination – The vaccination against influenza is also arranged for the senior members annually, vaccines being donated mainly by Thet Paing Soe Co. Ltd. Usually over (30) elderly doctors come to take the vaccination. It started from 2013.Hepatitis B screening, vaccination and counseling of positive cases is being performed for the elderly doctors and the community by the Liver Foundation in collaboration with SGED.
3. Newsletter Newsletter for the elderly doctors is published bi-annually, containing news of SGED activities and activities of societies under MMA, health education articles, poems, exercises etc. which are of interest and benefit to the elderly.
   Every issue of the Newsletter is delivered to each senior member personally or by Royal Mail free of charge.
4. Day Care Center (DCC)Day Care Center for the elderly doctors was established in February 2012, where the elderly doctors can spend the day and take a rest. It is a place where old friends can get together and enjoy each others’ company.
   At present most of the activities of SGED such as meetings, gatherings and health talks take place at the DCC.

Funding

SGED is implementing its activities solely on fund raised through donations from individuals, groups, NGOs within the country and donors abroad, in the form of:

• General Fund
• Donor Club Fund
• Cataract Fund

General Fund – where any person, any group or any organization can donate any amount any time, either at SGED office or Day Care Centre

Donor Club  –  is set up for regular donations every year as stated below.

Diamond member   –   Ks. 40000

Platinum member   –   Ks. 30000

Gold member            –   Ks. 20000

Silver member          –   Ks. 10000

Members are issued member cards in different colours according to the category of membership.

Donor club members need not necessarily be medical doctors; anyone who wish to donate and become a member is most welcome.

Co-operation with other Associations.

SGED has worked in close co-operation with other sections of MMA, such as Women Doctors Association, Buddhist association, and has taken part in the Annual Conference of the Myanmar Medical Association.

Since 2012, SGED has become one of the members of the Myanmar Ageing Network organized by Help Age International, comprising of all the organizations responsible for elderly care in Myanmar. And as such EC members of SGED have attended the ceremony of “ The International Day of Older Persons” held in Naypyidaw on the 1^st of October since 2015 and 2016 and participated in the meeting on “ review of Draft of Elderly Care Policy “ held in Naypyidaw in January and March 2016.