Covid care: After launching a dedicated number, state initiates online awareness campaign

Kolkata: The 'one-stop' helpline number to assist COVID-19 infected people who are staying in home isolation has become immensely popular in just a day's time of its introduction by the state government.

The one-stop 24x7 helpline number — 1800313444222 — was introduced on Saturday.

Most importantly, its simplestic format is helping people in easy interaction over the phone and has been highly appreciated.

A caller gets three options from the interactive voice response (IVR) system. It directs a caller to dial one if he or she needs assistance to get an ambulance. One needs to dial two to get any sort information on COVID-19 and three to talk to a doctor for telemedicine. With a robust arrangement to handle the entire operation, a caller did not need to wait for a long time to talk to the concerned person or a doctor for necessary assistance.

At the same time, the state Home department has initiated an online awareness campaign by engaging doctors from both state-run and private hospitals to avoid people getting unnecessarily panicked over thinking that there is a lack of beds for COVID-19 treatment.

In a tweet of the state Home department, Dr Diptendu Sarkar Professor of department of surgery of SSKM Hospital and Director Department of Pulmonology of Fortis Hospital Dr Raja Dhar explained about the availability of sufficient number of beds and telemedicine facility available in the state.

Meanwhile, shops and other establishments will be allowed to remain open till 11 am in the area under jurisdiction of Dum Dum police station. Only essential services will be allowed to operate after 11 am. Some parts of Dum Dum Municipality and South Dum Dum Municipality fall under the jurisdiction of Dum Dum police station.

Meanwhile, the Manicktala market has been shut for three days.