Senior citizens residing at three old-age homes in Ranchi will no longer have to venture out for check-up.

For, they will be provided that facility for free on the premises of their respective shelters within a week. They will also get free medicines.

All thanks to district legal services authority (DLSA) for writing a letter to Ranchi civil surgeon Dr S.S. Harijan, on August 18 asking him to depute a doctor at Apna Ghar in Hesag with 25 senior citizens, Adarsh Vridha Sewasharam at Kulgu in Nagri that also houses 25 inmates and Senior Citizen Home in Bariatu having 50 elderly persons.

Acting on the letter, civil surgeon issued a letter on August 31, stating that Dr Ajit Kumar, a medical officer from a Primary Health Centre in Tamar, had been deputed for the job. Kumar will be present from 9am to 11am at Apna Ghar, from 11.30am to 1.30pm at Adarsh Vridha Sewasharam and from 2pm to 4pm at Senior Citizen Home everyday except on Sundays.

"DLSA has been running centres at these homes to provide legal assistance to the senior citizens such as redressing their pension-related queries since the past six months. Now, these centres will provide medical help too," said a lawyer associated with the DLSA.

Notably, the legal services outfit had shot the letter to civil surgeon after receiving requests from the management of the homes for the deputation of a doctor on their respective premises.

Lauding the DLSA for its initiative, secretary of Vihar Samaj Kalyan Sansthan L.N.Sinha, who also runs the Bariatu-based old-age home Adarsh Vridha Sewasharam , said it came as a great relief.

"Without a regular doctor, I have to take the senior people to RIMS and nearby hospitals even for a minor injury. The work is tedious as it involves extra time, money, energy and manpower. Now, with a doctor on our premises, it will be easier to provide our ailing inmates with medical care," he said.