At the recent homage ceremony for elderly doctors organized by the Women’s Section of the MMA, there were more than 600 being paid homage and less than a hundred paying it. And that number represents only the older doctors (75+ years) living in Yangon.
There could be thousands unaccounted for countrywide.
The 2023 WHO report cites life expectancy in Myanmar as follows:-
The life expectancy in Myanmar is around 67 years, with women expected to live longer than men. For example, the UNFPA reports a 10-year difference, with females living to about 69.3 years and males to 60.2 years. The life expectancy at birth of 67.8 years in 2021, reflects an increase from 59.4 years compared with that of 2000. Factors such as healthcare access, sanitation, and nutrition influence life expectancy.
There are observations that people are living longer worldwide, with centenarians increasing, especially in developed countries and those not ravaged by war. A diminishing workforce and demands on resources to cater for geriatric care are new challenges that governments and healthcare providers face.
But just living longer is not and should not be the goal of looking after our bodies and taking care of our health. A famous quote states that we should add life to our years and not years to our lives. “Adding life to years” to life does not necessarily mean going on rounds of parties, frequent fine dining, jetting off to exotic places for holidays. Quality of life depends on doing everything in moderation, having enough sleep and exercise, keeping adequately hydrated, being useful in whatever way we can and clear perspectives on life.
Worries are our worst enemies and need to be handled with wisdom. It is a good idea to do a kind of “triage” with them
Categorise them into “What I can do and beyond my power “. Delegate the latter / ask for help for the latter. Scrutinize the former category, list the available options, analyse the pros and cons, and act on the best option. And then, ” close the file” on that issue.
After all, health is not merely absence of disease but a healthy body, mind and emotional stability.
Sunsets can be glowing. They can be more beautiful than sunrise, with the heat increasing. Sunsets are a time of Peace and Rest.
