Pronam – A Helpline For The Elderly

Pronam - A helpline for the elderly

Pronam - a 24-hour Helpline for Senior Citizens in Kolkata who stay alone.

I was just going through today’s papers and I came across this article about a 24/7 helpline for the elderly.

It caught my attention and I started reading it. I learnt that hundreds of senior citizens in Kolkata have registered with it. It did not surprise me.

Just the other day, my neighbour, a single lady aged 65 years, wanted to register with an old age home. I was aghast! How could she even think of such an idea?

But she had her reasons. Her only son lives abroad and he’s more Americanized than his American wife. He has no plans of ever returning to India. 

A fiercely independent and feisty lady, she dislikes having to rely on others for assistance. She believes that moving in to an old age home when her physical strength and mental faculties decline is the perfect solution. She will receive round-the clock care, timely meals, companionship, security and peace of mind.

So true. All around me are apartments with just a couple of residents. The other flat owners, mostly from the IT field, have moved abroad. Their parents shuffle between Kolkata and US until age or health issues ground them. Their kids occasionally visit them or not at all. Their careers, families, friends, vacations take precedence. The parents lead a lonely existence, fending for themselves, lonely and helpless until the Grim Reaper comes calling.

So, I think that Pronam is a brilliant initiative. Set up jointly by an NGO The Bengal and Kolkata Police, Pronam has steadily grown from 300 members in June 2009 to over 8758 users in 2013, primarily due to loneliness, insecurity and depression that the elderly experience.

Senior citizens aged 60 and above can register with Pronam. Pronam provides medical services - such as ambulance, discount on medicines and medical tests - legal help, safety and security.

The Pronam helpline number is 24190740.