Hyderabad: GHMC's Tele-counselling service receives 100 calls daily

Adarsh Nagar: As many as 100 people are reaching out to the tele-counseling services of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) with queries related to Covid-19.

The GHMC's Covid Control Room helpline 040- 21111111, manned by doctors had initially received calls from persons who require oxygen and ventilator beds. "Every day two shifts of doctors are answering the calls, from 8 am to 2 pm and from 2 pm to 8 pm, these specially appointed doctors prescribe counseling for Covid-19 prevention on a phone call," said State Medical Secretary Rizvi. According to the control room officials, over the last week, they have seen an increase in calls from the families of persons testing positive for Covid-19 or even the patients themselves.

"Many people were anxious or stressed about breathing problems and we immediately reassure them as well as put them in touch with concerned hospitals having vacant beds," said a GHMC official.

On Thursday the Control Room received as many as 130 calls and apart from addressing their queries, the doctors are providing medical assistance to those having Covid-19 symptoms and asking to take precautions and prescribing medications to those with mild symptoms of infection.

Furthermore, the State Medical Secretary told that anyone having symptoms in the city can call upon the helpline number and can avail the medical assistance from doctors. He also said that home isolated patients can ask for medical kits and the kit will be directly sent to their doorstep. Currently, incoming calls to 104 are also being linked to the Covid control room number, Rizvi added.

However, the survey being conducted by the GHMC shows that out of 18,765 people around 130 people have found mild symptoms, and medical assistance and kits were provided to them.