Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said non-resident Keralites (NoRKs) in need of medical counsel could consult specialist doctors in the State through a special video telephony portal to be set up by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA).
Experts of various disciplines ranging from general medicine to ophthalmology would come online between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST) to offer their advice to patients privately. The CM expressed concern that members of the Malayali diaspora, spread across the globe, were falling victim to the COVID-19 contagion.
The State had received scores of calls from NoRKs seeking medical counsel and aid. The government had persuaded Malayali associations in at least five countries to set up help desks and channel their local resources to help their needy brethren caught helpless and without food or medicine in the global lockdown, he said.
The State had also sought the help of the Centre to instruct Indian embassies in those countries to support the Malayali diaspora. It planned to expand the help desk network across the globe soon, the CM said. The government would make NoRKA registration cards mandatory for students studying abroad. It would accord insurance coverage for scholars and subsidy in airfare.