Call centres for COVID patients will keep a watch on hospitals: K’taka Minister

Bengaluru: Upgrading the hospital management, the call centres for Covid-19 patients will keep a watch on the hospitals, Minister for Forest and Kannada and Culture Arvind Limbavali said on Friday.

“Accurate information of patients admitted to and discharged from hospitals, and clear reports on availability of beds will be got through such reality checks,” Limbavali, who is also nodal minister for War Rooms, call centre management and handling of providing medical advice to patients said in a statement.

The Minister said an additional centre for the 1912 helpline number was inaugurated today at Yeshwantpur in the city for Covid patients under Bengaluru municipal limits.

While there had been 60 lines of the helpline earlier, 70 new lines have been opened, which will reduce the response time and provide immediate assistance to the caller.

The call centres will have doctors who will receive the calls and provide medical guidance if there is a delay in transfer of calls in the region, he added.

“The call centres will function as triaging centres along with conducting reality checks of hospitals,” the minister said.

Starting the centre will reduce burden on the nine COVID War Rooms in all regions and one Central War Room.

The War Rooms and call centres will also be able to function more effectively, he said.