The Municipality of Pécs has taken several measures in the past couple of days to slow down the spread of the new coronavirus. As it is known, that the epidemic is especially dangerous for elderly people, we have undertaken efforts to create a system which protects the health of elderly citizens living alone aged 65 or older, without family or relatives in the city. The aim of the system is to create the possibility of the only effective defensive measure, to enable them to stay at home.
In order to achieve this, we have undertaken several measures thus far. Among others, we have created a telephone center and four regional caring facilities within the social institutions of the city, provided defensive gear to colleagues working in these institutions and have reassigned several colleagues at municipal and city level to the new, prioritized task.
After the preparatory work of the past couple of days, the assistance program for elderly people (PAPI – Program A Pécsi Idősekért) will start operating on Friday, March 20th.
The system works as follows:
• elderly people living alone call one of the numbers listed below
• they provide their name, telephone number, address, medication requirement and social security (TAJ) number
• an operator from the regional social facility will call them back and establish contact
• the operator clarifies detailed needs and assigns a delivery person or support staff to the task
• the support staff buys the merchandise, and medical supplies, fetches deliveries from the post office
• delivers the goods to the address while observing the epidemic safety requirements
• elderly people can then pay for the goods at their home by card or cash
Important information about PAPI:
• The service is free to use, the elderly people of Pécs only pay for the goods they purchased
• Using the store purchase service is maximized, availability is twice a week per person
• PAPI is primarily aimed at elderly residents of Pécs, we ask therefore that only people above the age of 65 without relatives in the city ask for assistance.
• The telephone service and operators are available every day of the week from 8AM to 4PM.
The service can be requested on one of the telephone numbers listed below:
+36-30-573-1764, +36-30-573-9488, +36-30-573-4084
The municipality of Pécs is ready to expand the service if necessary, by reassigning more colleagues and recruiting volunteers, in which case further steps will be taken through the Integrated Daytime Social Institution.
We still ask citizens aged 65 or above to take the threat posed by the new coronavirus seriously, that they take care of themselves and stay home and use PAPI if necessary.
The Municipality of Pécs
