Housing solution for elderly and orphans
Print Edition
TSANGZHOEN cannot believe her luck — her new home has an elevator, under-floor heating, recreational facilities and, should she need them, there are doctors on-call.
With no relatives to take care of her, Tsangzhoen, 69, along with around 300 other retirees from rural southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, were offered rooms in a nursing home community in the regional capital of Lhasa.
“I don’t have to cook for myself anymore. In the past, especially in winter, I would have to drag my sore body to the cooker just to eat. Now I have doctors to turn to whenever necessary,” she explained.
Her new home is part of a collective accommodation project launched for orphans and elderly people who have no relatives to take care of them. The residents of this home are originally from underdeveloped, rural areas in Tibet. The property, covering an area of six hectares, opened in September 2015.
Over the past three years, the regional government has spent nearly 3 billion yuan (US$461 million) on 80 new nursing homes for the elderly and 10 orphanages. As of this month, more than 11,000 retirees and 5,600 orphans have accepted places at these homes.
Residents of this community do not pay any rent.
Dorje Tsedrub, vice chair of the regional government, said the project was one of the region’s poverty-alleviation measures.
“The elderly and orphans have enjoyed better living conditions, medical care and education after being provided accommodation at nursing homes and orphanages in towns and cities,” he said.
Many of the new orphanages, such as the one in Shannan Prefecture, accept children from outside the catchment area. Shannan orphanage has nearly 170 homeless children from Nagqu Prefecture.
Soinam Rigzin, head of civil affairs bureau of Shannan Prefecture, said all the orphans would be given places at a school nearby.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
