AP CM DIRECTS THE HEALTH OFFICIALS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN 104 HELPLINE NUMBER

National

AP Government under the leadership of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is leaving no stone unturned in strengthening the 104 helpline number and ensure that the people of the state receive as much help they need. The round-the-clock 104 helpline number has emerged as a one-stop solution for all Covid-19 related issues in the state.

The infection during the second wave is spreading faster and that the 104 helpline service has been flooded with over 1, 45,121 calls in the last 20 days. Speaking on the response system, in-charge of 104 call centre operations, Nodal officer Babu Ahmed said ‘We receive calls 24/7, in regards to testing, treatment, vaccine and hospital allotment. We were able to successfully admit around 22,877 patients to the nearby hospitals in the last one month. In addition to this, we have around 3,567 doctors registered over the last one week with 608 specialist doctors added to manning the facility to offer quick response and solution, be it regarding bed, testing or treatment, within three hours. These doctors will be linked to the patients of every incoming call from 104. Calls received from people enquiring on information about the testing, vaccination and test results will be handled at the executive level. People who have symptoms and need consultation for prescription and treatment are handled by the doctors. We have been providing training on covid protocols to all the doctors along with providing them 104 teleconsultation mobile applications’

Babu.A further added that this will be a continuous activity to reach out to as many people and that the team is working round the clock. ‘In addition to this, we would like decrease the pressure on the hospital in charges as well. Currently we have 1.2 lakh people under home isolation who have reported mild symptoms; to these patients we are also ensuring to make outgoing calls and connecting them to the available doctors. This way the patients who are home isolated are able to get a better picture in tackling the virus themselves at home. Medicines and treatment that the doctors are prescribing through teleconsultation brings down the undue pressure on hospitals’