Havana, December 29 (RHC-ACN)--  In Cuba, 19.8 percent of the population are over 60 years old, which is why the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) increased services in 2017 to improve the quality of life of this age group.

In a country where life expectancy is 79.45 for women, and 76.50 for men, there are 287 homes for the elderly, 11 more than in 2016, facilities where 9,838 people are cared-for, according to Roberto Morales Ojeda, head of Minsap.

In hospitals, 51 geriatric services are provided with 1,049 hospital beds, for an indicator of one bed for every two thousand elderly.

He stressed that the availability of technical aids, including hearing aids, has been increased and extended to 62 pharmacies across the island.  More than 101,500 patients benefited with access to wheelchairs, walking aids, among other resources.

The nation today has an adult mortality rate of 29 per 100 thousand inhabitants of 60 years, while in the 75 years group and older, the indicator reduced from 62.4 to 61.9.