Given the COVID-19 situation in the city, citizens are finding it difficult to get routine health services and consultation, while public and private healthcare facilities are not able to provide routine out patient services, given the limitations due to the lockdown.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Vital Strategies, has launched a health line (07447118949) through which tele consultation services will be offered to citizens for their health-related issues. The health line was launched on Thursday by Mayor M. Goutham Kumar and BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar.
In a press release, Mr. Goutham Kumar said that the health helpline was launched to offer medical consultations and counselling to citizens without them having to step out of their homes. The BBMP’s 42 doctors will be available for consultations on the health line. They will be working in four shifts and the health line would be open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
All calls to the helpline will be routed to the doctors on duty by the call centre. Each caller will be given a unique ID. If during consultation, the doctors feel further investigation is required, a video call would be made to the patient.
“In future, private practitioners may also join the BBMP’s health line, which will be further developed,” the Mayor said.
Mr. Anil Kumar said that in the light of COVID-19 cases being reported in the city, many private hospitals and nursing homes were offering treatment for diabetes, kidney and heart ailments only as in-patient treatment. “Many citizens are apprehensive of even going to the fever clinics. Citizens may now make use of the health line, which offers free consultation over phone. The medicines will be prescribed by the doctors,” he said.
Meanwhile, the release also stated that this intervention will be in addition to the existing care and not for total substitution of regular OPD care. The doctors have been directed to necessarily elicit history of the case, progress and onset of symptoms and related medical conditions. That apart, travel history over the past 28 days, history of contact with a known COVID-19 positive patient and address of the caller must be sought.
If any patient is reporting from the 19 well-defined containment zones, he/she must be given consultation. Subsequently, the health officer of the zone concerned should be informed so that sampling, testing and other action can be initiated.