Primary teachers of Chennai Corporation schools have now donned a new role. They are handling calls at the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) 24-hour tele-counselling centres, set up in all zones in the city and they will be given training to provide pyscho-social counselling to callers in need.
With a large number of calls pouring into the COVID -19 tele counselling centre at the GCC headquarters, officials found the need to set up centres in the 15 zones across the city.
“Each zone has been provided with a separate number and patients and families can call these numbers,” said a senior GCC official.
To handle these call, the GCC has roped in primary school teachers of Chennai Corporation Schools. “Each zone has 30 teachers and they will work in three shifts. There will be 10 teachers in each shift, lasting six hours. The teachers can handle the callers, who are most often emotional and in fear,” added the official.
The teachers will take the calls and then pass on the information to the zonal GCC officer. “The patients and families can call us in case they need groceries, medicines or even if any of their families have symptoms. GCC officials will attend to it immediately,” he explained.
A teacher in one of the call centres said that patients have been calling in to inform them that their family members have symptoms. “We are also going to be trained in psycho-social counselling. Many patients and their families may feel depressed when they are quarantined. We will be taught how to calm them down and solve their problems,” said a teacher.
The teachers said that the GCC had assured them that they would be provide with transport to reach the centres. “This is a novel experience for us,” added the teachers.
COVID -19 tele-counselling helplines for Chennai
Headquarters: 044 - 46122300
Zone 1, Thriuvottiyur: 044 46556301
Zone 2, Manali: 044 4655 6302
Zone 3, Madhavaram: 044 46556303
Zone 4, Tondiarpet: 044 46556304
Zone 5, Royapuram: 044 46556305
Zone 6, Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar: 044 46556306
Zone 7, Ambattur: 044 46556307
Zone 8, Anna Nagar: 044 46556308
Zone 9, Teynampet: 044 46556309
Zone 10, Kodambakkam: 044 46556310
Zone 11, Valsaravakkam: 044 46556311
Zone 12, Alandur: 044 46556312
Zone 13, Adyar: 044 46556313
Zone 14, Perungudi: 044 46556314
Zone 15, Sholinganallur: 044 46556315