On April 6, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The Vitebsk Regional Geriatric Centre is planned to be established in 2012 on the basis of the "Yurtsevo" hospital for veterans in the Orsha district, Natalia Lugovtsova, chief freelance geriatrician of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Healthcare Department, told a BELTA correspondent. According to her, the Vitebsk Regional Hospital for Disabled Veterans of the Great Patriotic War "Yurtsevo" has accumulated extensive experience in the rehabilitation of elderly people and possesses a good material base. Taking all this into account, it is planned to expand its powers this year and focus on working with all elderly people in the region. "Of course, this will require strengthening the hospital's material and technical base. The issue of financing is currently under consideration," noted Natalia Lugovtsova. As of January 1, 2012, 256.8 thousand elderly and senile people are under the supervision of healthcare organizations in the Vitebsk region. The share of this population category is 21%. In 2011, 98.5% of these individuals underwent medical examinations. The number of lonely citizens is 20.5 thousand people (8% of all elderly), of whom almost 6.6 thousand require external care. The elderly population in the region is predominantly urban (62.8%), with 37% concentrated in rural areas. Medical care for veterans of the Great Patriotic War and persons affected by the consequences of wars is provided without restriction in healthcare organizations of the Vitebsk region, the principles of out-of-turn and priority service are observed, and 100% mandatory comprehensive medical examinations of veterans are carried out. To improve inpatient care, 170 wards with 420 beds have been allocated specifically for this category of persons in healthcare institutions. In 2011, 2.1 thousand veterans of the Great Patriotic War and 178 veterans of combat operations in other countries were treated in these wards. All veterans are provided with the necessary technical rehabilitation means.