Members of Singhbhum Kendriya Varisht Nagrik Samiti welcome the gesture in Jamshedpur on Monday. (Bhola Prasad)

Jamshedpur, July 26: It’s goodbye wallet worries for ailing senior citizens.

They can walk into at least eight hospitals and private nursing homes in the steel city and be assured of free treatment, courtesy the East Singhbhum district administration and the medical fraternity.

Civil surgeon Dipali Dey said she had, in fact, written to all the 29-odd hospitals and nursing homes urging them to offer free treatment to the elderly. Eight of them have readily agreed. “Logistics, including cost limit of treatment and number of free beds, however, need to be worked out,” she said.

Tata Main Hospital and Kantilal Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bistupur, Rajasthan Seva Sadan in Jugsalai, Mercy Hospital in Baridih, Gangotri Nursing Home in Kadma, Choudhary Nursing Home in New Baradwari, Jaspal Nursing Home and Ganga Nursing Home in Mango are the benevolent health hubs where senior citizens can avail of free treatment.

Expressing happiness, Shivpujan Singh, the president of Singhbhum Kendriya Varisht Nagrik Samiti, said their demand had finally been fulfilled. “We would like other hospitals to come forward with a similar gesture,” he told The Telegraph.

Singh, a former Tata Steel employee, said the elderly could approach the Samiti directly for help. “We will verify details and recommend patients to hospitals and nursing homes who have agreed to free treatment. Patients can contact us on our cellphones. Verification can be done later,” he said.

A senior citizen can contact Singh at 9334417623, Samiti general secretary Ramayan Singh at 9534100227 and member Ramawtar Thakur at 9471311675.

Restoration of other facilities for senior citizens such as separate counters at government offices, banks and railway stations are also on the cards.