Call centres for senior citizens inaugurated

Health Minister K.K. Shylaja on Friday inaugurated call centres for senior citizens in all 14 districts as part of the COVID-19 containment measures.

The initiative was undertaken under the ‘Grand Care’ project for the elderly. The call centres have been started for addressing the healthcare requirements of senior citizens under reverse quarantine.

The facilities will function from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Twenty staff will man the centres in two shifts. Counselling services are also provided to the elderly through the call centres.

Inaugurating the facilities, Ms. Shylaja said that the State had been able to reduce the deaths due to COVID-19, especially that of the elderly, through concerted efforts. The elderly are more vulnerable to epidemics. Many senior citizens benefited from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) project for making available medicines at homes. But the possibility of a spike in cases existed with the announcement of more relaxations as part of the ‘unlock’ measures, she said.

Earlier, the State government had launched measures to address the COVID-19-related problems faced by the elderly. The call centres were a continuation of these measures, the Minister said. Social Justice Department secretary Biju Prabhakar presided.