An elder receives treatment at a hospital in Lushan County of Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 26, 2015. Thirty-eight people were killed and six others injured in a fire at a rest home in Lushan on Monday night. (Xinhua/Zhao Peng)
A fire at an unlicensed orphanage killed six children and a 20-year-old man in Henan two years ago. Yuan Lihai, owner of the orphanage, said she had adopted the abandoned children as an act of charity, rather than to seek benefits.
China's leadership has vowed to help the citizens of the country benefit from the fruits of reform and development. The elders should also benefit.
Instead of feeling lonely and helpless, the elders deserve a safe and comfortable place to live out their later years.
Some provinces have pledged to increase investment in this regard and adopted legislation to encourage private capital in the nursing sector in recent years.
An investigation should be conducted to find out whether there was dereliction of duty among local officials in the recent fire.
Governments at all levels should shoulder the basic responsibility for safe and sufficient public services for all people, old or young, as the whole country strives to create a well-off society by 2020.
