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SOS gadget for senior citizens in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad — Hundreds of retired elderly men and women, especially the well-heeled parents of non-resident Indians, living alone in Ahmedabad will now have little to worry about their safety.   

The Ahmedabad police will soon distribute cellphone-sized, GPS-based personal care units to at least 3,000 lonely golden-agers who are more vulnerable to attacks by robbers and burglars.  

Manoj Agarwal, joint commissioner of police, told Khaleej Times that in emergencies, the senior citizens would just have to press a button in the device installed in their homes. The distress call will reflect on the computer screen in the round-the-clock control room and within minutes armed policemen from the nearest police station will rush to their rescue.

“A special infrastructure has been prepared at the city police control room to address the calls and identify locations,” he said, adding homes where the first 3,000 gadgets would be fixed would be decided in consultation with genuine NGOs helping people in their twilight years.

The SOS system for those on the wrong side of 60 years is part of the Senior Citizen Security and Care Project of the Ahmedabad police which has resulted in fewer incidents of robberies and burgalaries in their homes, and even fewer cases of harassment by younger family members.

There are 111 million senior citizens in India.

mahesh@khaleejtimes.com