PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has started a helpline for children by children to address queries related to Covid infection.
Altogether 20 school children from standard VII to standard X from civic schools will operate the helpline every day from 11am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.
These students have been given formal training about helpline operation by medical and teaching professionals.
If required, experts will be there as a backup to answer any queries.
PCMC officials said that on the first day of the helpline, they received 37 calls, which were attended by Shrinath Deshpande from Madhyamic Vidyalaya Pimple Gurav and Kanak Kulkarni from Jnana Prabodhini school.
Teachers and parents were present at the helpline centre to boost the confidence of the students.
PCMC commissioner, Rajesh Patil, told TOI, “This is an experimental initiative we have started to build confidence among school students about the current Covid situation. The fear of Covid should not be there among children and it would be possible only if they have the right channel to address their queries. If they have any queries, they will get answers from students, who have been selected based on their communication skills. If students are unable to answer any query, the expert backup will take over the call.”
A civic body official said that the 20 students who will man the helpline will work on a rotation basis.
Every day, two students will get a chance to operate the helpline. Their parents have been allowed to accompany them.
