Public welfare programs on track to improve lives

This year's 10 public welfare programs to improve people's lives, which cover a wide range of areas such as senior care, health, education and employment, are processing smoothly with some already accomplished, Shanghai authorities announced on Sunday.

Among the goals, there should be 5,000 new beds at senior homes in the city, and 2,000 beds should be refitted to satisfy the needs of those with cognitive disorders.

As of August, 4,879 new beds are in place, and 66 percent of the 2,000 beds had been refitted for elderly residents with cognitive disorder.

Fifty new community-based comprehensive senior service centers and 200 new community-based canteens for the elderly are also on the agenda.

Between January and August, 44 comprehensive senior service centers and 175 canteens had been built.

Shanghai residents over the age of 60 comprise more than 35 percent of the permanent population. It's estimated that about 300,000 people in the city suffer from dementia, a figure projected to increase.

A total of 543 "Love Summer Care" camps providing day-care services to elementary school students lacking proper supervision during the summer vacation were opened as part of the city's life-improvement projects, exceeding the target.

Additionally, educational support should be provided for 300 children with absent or improper guardianship.

More than 6,000 hours of the service had been provided as of August. 

Ten thousand public vehicle charging poles should be added across the city, and e-bike charging facilities should be installed in 500 residential complexes.

More than 16,700 such poles had been established as of August and e-bike charging facilities had covered 425 residential complexes.

Two hundred breakfast project demonstration sites should be launched, and to address unemployment, assistance should be given to 8,000 chronically unemployed young people to find jobs or start their own businesses.

The former target has been accomplished, and 9,295 unemployed youngsters had been employed or started their businesses by August..

Six new or renovated first-aid stations with ambulances will improve emergency services, and five have been in place.

Thirty new community rehabilitation centers had been built, hitting the target. One hundred health service sites had been established at office buildings and industrial zones as of August, also meeting the goal. 

Eighty taxi waiting areas in downtown Shanghai had been added, compared with the target of 100.

Frequent flooding of 11 downtown streets should be addressed, and 92 percent of the program had been completed.

Greenways totaling 200 kilometers should be created and 92 percent had been accomplished.

Other life-improvement projects include 80 new or renovated fitness tracks and 80 new or renovated sports fields for residents.

More than 92 percent of both had been accomplished.

One million city seniors should be taught to use intelligent technologies to help them adapt to the digital age, and the target had been accomplished.