When a 36-year-old businessman from The Nilgiris district suffered financial loss, he went into depression. He became a recluse and found it difficult to perform his routine activities such as eating, bathing, dressing and toileting. He depended on sleeping pills to overcome insomnia. Finally, he developed suicidal tendencies at which point he learnt about ‘104,’ a helpline operated from Chennai by the GVK-Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), which also runs ‘108’ Ambulance Service.
SessionsAfter several motivational sessions followed by classes in relaxation, over the phone, he has come to terms with his situation and is trying to wean himself away from the sleeping pills.
The call made by the businessman was one of the 7.64 lakh calls made from all parts of Tamil Nadu to ‘104,’ which completed one year of operation on December 29. Coimbatore stood next only to Chennai in the number of calls made to this helpline.
From advice on psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, sexual issues, to information about various Government facilities and speciality hospitals, the 104 helpline serves as a one-stop shop for health, says B. Prabhudoss, Regional Manager (Tamil Nadu), ‘108’ GVK-EMRI.
The helpline has also received calls complaining about the State health apparatus such doctors being absent at PHCs.
Of the 2.91 lakh effective calls handled by the helpline, 2.59 lakh were those seeking health advises, another 3,140 were for seeking information on Government services, counselling calls being 13,229 and the remaining 5,635 being service improvement calls pertaining to service at Government health institutions.
“Users of public health services can report delays and deficiencies in services and seek redressal. The Service Improvement Officer will contact the health officer concerned and take up the issue, after which we will inform the caller about the action taken on his complaint," Mr. Prabhudoss says.
B. Elayaraja, one of the three counselling psychologists on station round-the-clock at 104, says nearly 70 per cent of the counselling calls pertain to psycho-sexual problems. Further, a lot of work-related stress calls come from Tirupur.
T. Venkatesan, Service Improvement Officer, says that the 104 helpline also helps track epidemic outbreaks. Whenever it receives fever-related calls from one locality, it immediately alerts the Health Department, which will conduct screening and medical camps. The helpline also coordinates blood donations camps.
“In fact, the 104 helpline also helped to expose a drug scam in Salem recently in which a staff nurse of a Government hospital was pilfering drugs and selling them on the private market,” he adds.
