“At the Merida City Council every day we work to build a more humane city, in which vulnerable groups are valued, supported, and protected, through actions with a social and humanistic approach, always based on the common good”, said Mayor Renán Barrera Concha.
In a statement, it is reported that the councilor, accompanied by his wife Diana Castillo Laviada, president of the Municipal DIF, made a supervisory visit to the construction work of the Comprehensive Center for the Plenitude of the Elderly “Armonía”, on Calle 55 (between 10 and 16) of the Fraccionamiento del Parque.
There, the mayor emphasized that the work is part of the municipal commitment to the Merida senior citizens.
“With actions like this, we put into practice one of the priorities of this administration, which is to avoid human pain. For this we are convinced that if we continue united and working hard, where we strengthen the common good over individual priorities and being in solidarity, we will be able to face and overcome all the new challenges that come our way”, he expressed.
The councilor remarked that in recent days the City Council officially joined the World Network of Cities and Communities Friendly to the Elderly, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
This adhesion, he said, will allow the municipality greater contact with the global network of geriatric experts, access to new friendly practices, and the opportunity to exchange ideas with other cities to share progress and knowledge.
“Thanks to the work we are doing in favor of our older adults, this network will help us to offer them more and better opportunities so that they can enjoy a better quality of life,” Barrera Concha said.
These new facilities, he said, will be added to the Center for the Care of the Elderly, in the west of the city, where the Integral Center for the Plenitude of the Elderly “Renacer” works and the 20 Clubs for the Elderly in different neighborhoods of Mérida, to offer social integration and care for the elderly, through workshops, courses, recreational and cultural walks.
Currently there are 900 people registered in these activities.
Likewise, the mayor emphasized that in the face of the health contingency caused by Covid-19, actions were taken to take maximum care of the elderly, such as the delivery to their homes of the monthly aid packages to the two thousand affiliates in the DIF Mérida registry.
Among the support to this sector, he also mentioned the delivery of 822 free “Mérida Ciudadano Distinguido” inclusive cards, for seniors and people with disabilities over 60, as well as discounts and promotions in 120 socially responsible companies.
During the tour, David Loría Magdub, director of Public Works, explained that the interior of the building has an access hall for control and waiting room for family members, a physical therapy room with two care offices for the elderly, and a room of dance where classes of ballroom dance and jarana will be taught.
It also has three occupational therapy rooms where various classes will be taught, a warehouse of materials to store cleaning and maintenance equipment, as well as an interior rest patio, which also allows adequate ventilation and lighting in all areas.
There will be a connecting plaza that will allow the existing areas to be interconnected with those of the project to facilitate access for older adults with an outdoor garden area for outdoor activities, as well as a parking lot.
“Outside, green areas are enabled that will be in various points of the project to have natural spaces inside and outside the center with natural grass and trees, and a small square to facilitate the transition to the outside, built of concrete”, the mayor concluded.
Renan Barrera was also accompanied on the tour by the directors Susy Pasos Alpuche, from the DIF, and José Collado Soberanis, from the Municipal Public Services.
