Friday, Sep 30, 2016

Sharjah: The Sharjah Department of eGovernment (DeG) has underlined the importance of acknowledging that senior citizens have special needs and requirements that can be well served through easier access to electronic and digital services.

During its participation in a session titled ‘The Current and Future Services for the Elderly by Sharjah City Entities’ at the fifth edition of the ‘Elderly Services Forum 2016’ organised last week, DeG addressed the topic about providing easy-to-access e-services to the elderly and their efforts to achieve this.

The forum, organised by the Sharjah Department of Social Service in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), sought to create and implement innovative methods, aimed at supporting and meeting the needs of the elderly in accessing public services through modern technology and facilities.

At the forum, DeG highlighted its efforts and initiatives to encourage government bodies and organisations in the emirate to offer additional options for older people in e-services and smart applications provided to the general public.

Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director-General of DeG said that DeG’s participation aimed “to highlight Sharjah’s vision for customer service, especially older people, by providing e-services that take into account the needs of this important category of society, to make them happy and put a smile on their faces”.

“We were able to communicate with government agencies in Sharjah to update them on these needs and presented examples on electronic forms that are easy-to-use, allowing users to interact with these digital services with ease and convenience,” he said.

The forum, which brought together experts and speakers from the UAE and beyond, featured several sessions and topics dealing with the emirate’s efforts to join the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities after having completed the necessary procedures to get accreditation.

Many government agencies expressed their willingness to take every necessary step to help make Sharjah a friendlier city for the elderly.

Staff Report

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