Free health checks for seniors
Some 200 attended the first leg of the Selangor Senior Citizens' Health Programme 2025 at Beringin Hall in Selayang. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
THE Selangor Senior Citizens' Health Programme 2025 will be held at 22 locations across all nine districts in the state, with around 2,700 senior citizens expected to participate.
Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the free programme brought healthcare services to the community.
'This provides better healthcare access to the elderly, especially in detecting the risk of frailty and preventing serious health complications.
'The programme can also help assess various aspects of a senior citizen's health, like muscle and grip strength as well as potential mobility issues.
'At the same time, they can receive exercise and diet advice,' she said when launching the programme at Beringin Hall in Selayang.
Jamaliah said three districts in Selangor – Kuala Langat, Sepang and Kuala Selangor – were among the 11 districts identified as ageing by the Statistics Department last year.
'One of the factors contributing to this situation is increased average life expectancy.
'However, this increase does not necessarily mean an increase in the quality of life among senior citizens.
'It could be due to advancements in healthcare services and medical technologies.
'Therefore, it is important for us to pay thorough attention to the daily health of senior citizens so that they can continue to lead a meaningful life.
'A longer life means nothing if senior citizens are not healthy and require constant help from others,' she said.
Jamaliah also urged senior citizens to undergo regular health screenings to detect diseases early.
'I have met some senior citizens who are unwilling to know about their health status, as they are afraid of what the results will be.
'However, not knowing does not mean there are no issues.
'Our health may deteriorate without us realising, and it will become irreversible after we are hit by serious illnesses like stroke,' she added.
The programme is part of the 'Healthy Ageing: Preventing Frailty Among Elderly' project that has been carried out by Selangor government and BeVital Humanitarian Relief Organisation since 2023.
During the event, some 200 took part in activities such as health screenings, tests on their gait and speed, grip strength as well as exercises specifically designed for senior citizens.
They were also provided with resistance bands and diaries so they could continue exercising at home and record their progress.
BeVital founder Dr Ahmad Munawwar Helmi Salim urged senior citizens to continue exercising regularly.
'You may be facing the problem of frailty today, but if you continue exercising and controlling your diet consistently, you will see changes to your health,' he said.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who was also present, participated in some of the activities and interacted with the aged folk.
When asked about future dates and venues of the programme, a spokesperson said details were still being finalised and would be announced at a later date.
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