Kolkata: The number of calls to the state health department help number for Covid-19 has fallen sharply.
Even when the third wave experienced more and more people were infected than the second wave, the call for TELE medicine and telephoto counseling had dropped significantly.
The state health department now may tweak the team size for this tele-calling service if the number of calls continues to dip.
The government has launched services for telephoto consultation, psychological counseling and questions related to Covid-19, including assistance with hospital admission, around August by 2020 during the first wave of pandemics.
A large number of doctors and counselors have been deployed for this 24×7 service.
“Three services will receive 9,000 calls per day on average for the first two waves of pandemic, the number is higher during the second wave.
But now the number of calls drops to 50% even though the third wave becomes a larger surge.
That’s the reason why we can reduce energy Work and involve them in other services, “said a senior health official.
Telemedicine services were launched from Swasthya Bhavan and SSKM Hospital (IPGMER).
At IPGMER, around 30 doctors, including medical officers and specialists were collected from various medical colleges, attending calls in the current shift.
“No doubt the number of calls dropped sharply, but the service will continue as long as we get the direction of officials of Swasthya Bhawan to stop them,” said an official at IPGmer.
Because reduced calls, the Ministry of Health has also begun to track people in house isolation by contacting them through the call center from the first week of January.
“For now, the service will continue because there are still people who call Helpline.
Maybe we will reduce the size of the workforce,” said a health department official.