In a bid to empower people in the fight against COVID-19, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Wednesday launched Apthamitra helpline with an exclusive toll free No: 14410 and Apthamitra mobile app.
The main intention behind launching them is to reach out to people to help identify those having influenza-like illness (ILI), Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), COVID-19-like symptoms or having high risk of getting infected.
The two platforms also intend to identify persons with low risk but having some symptoms similar to COVID-19 and provide them telemedicine support with over-the-counter medicines and counsel them about the need to go through self-quarantine.
Both the platforms aim at following up on all low-risk cases till they get fully cured. In addition to this, both aim at assessing those having medium to high risk of infection and getting them to fever clinics or screening centres for testing and treatment.
These platforms are also intended to be used for analysing the ILI incidences to help make decisions on graded relaxation of lockdown norms in areas with low prevalence of symptoms while stepping up containment measures in hotspots, clusters and disease breakout areas.
The helpline that works from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. operates from six centres in the State – four from Bengaluru and one each from Mysuru and Mangaluru. However, it covers people from the entire State. It has a two-tier system wherein the first tier would be managed by final-year volunteer students from Ayush, Nursing and Pharma courses while the second would be looked after by MBBS/Integrated Medicine and Ayush volunteer doctors connecting from their respective locations for risk management, counselling, telemedicine and referral for testing and treatment.
The helpline 14410 is dedicated to deal with only Covid-19-related queries including telemedicine, counselling and facilitating testing and treatment for those in need. This will be complemented by general helpline 104 for health issues other than COVID-19; helpline 108 for health emergencies; and 155214 for food-related problems, states a release by the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Similarly, the app is for those with smartphones for seeking advice for telemedicine from doctors directly.
