Suffering from health ailments such as diarrhoea and jaundice? Or sustained severe injuries while being stuck in a remote rural location?
Have no idea on the health care institutions available in the locality? Need of medical counselling? Then dial `104’ for solutions to these problems.
An initiative of Tamil Nadu Health System Project, this service is being run by GVK-Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), which also operates the ‘108’ Ambulance Services in the State.
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The GVK-EMRI personnel manning the ‘104’ helpline centre in Chennai told
This ‘104’ call centre functions out of the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children at Triplicane, Chennai
The primary objective of the helpline is to provide the caller with the immediate home remedies for most aliments such as vomiting and minor injuries.
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A team of doctors have been deployed exclusively to man the helpline.
Complaints However, if they feel that a physical intervention is required the caller will be immediately referred to a hospital and the call transferred to 108 Emergency Response services.
Sources also said that plans were afoot to provide the option of receiving complaints in deficiency of service related to healthcare.
These will be brought to the notice of the senior Government officials, which will enable the top decision makers to make timely interventions.
While the helpline operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at present, it will be made a round-the-clock service after it commences full-fledged functioning.
On an average, around 300 calls are received daily, of which between 30 and 40 calls are genuine