By Our Correspondent
Tanahun, Mar. 23: At a ripe old age of 102, Mankumari Lamichhane of Tanahun district leas a healthy life. A resident of Aabukhairani Rural Municipality-1, Lamichhane rarely visits hospital for treatment.
On Sunday, she visited the office of the Rural Municipality to receive a senior citizen identity card. Kisan Thapa, the Chairperson of the Rural Municipality himself picked her up on his motorcycle to take to the office. Most people at the twilight of their lives face difficulty mounting a bike but not Lamichhane. “She is quite healthy and is fit enough to even briskly walk around the office,” remarked Thapa admiringly.
“The rural municipality has begun a campaign of providing senior citizen identity card and she came with me on my bike to receive hers,” he added. Pushpa Devi Shrestha, the Vice-Chair of the Rural Municipality, provided her the identity card.
“I never knew I could live for so long. I rarely visit hospitals for my treatment because I am living a healthy life,” Lamichhane expressed upon receiving her identity card. According to her, she doesn’t have any severe health problems.
Born on December 20, 1918 AD, Lamichhane has seen several pandemics including COVID-19 through the course of the 20th and 21st Century. “I feel lucky to have braved all of those health crises,” she said.
Seeing a 102-year-old woman walking around the office without any human support or that of a walking stick, Sikharlal Dotel, an employee of the Rural Municipality, couldn’t hide the look of astonishment. “I was surprised to see her, she was here to receive her identity card,” he said.
The rural municipality is providing identity cards to senior citizens to develop easy access to social security and other facilities from the province.