New Delhi, July 29 (Inditop.com) Much like the emergency 911 services in the US, in another 10 days residents of south Delhi will be able to dial a helpline set up by the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) and get medical services right at their doorstep — any time of the day.
Peace of Mind, as the initiative is called, is especially meant for senior citizens who may need medical help any time of the day of night, but not necessarily in an emergency.
The health line, 011-42255295, has already been functioning in the Vasant Kunj area of south Delhi for the last six months. Although the services will be limited to those in south Delhi in the beginning, there are plans to extend it to the whole of Delhi in the near future.
H.S. Chabbra of ISIC said that a clear indication of the fact that there is an urgent need for such an initiative is the number of calls that they have received from Vasant Kunj alone.
“We receive five to six calls everyday from older citizens and others in the Vasant Kunj area. The need for such services is huge. And it is not necessary that it has to be an emergency. A number of calls are from people who have chronic diseases and consultation over the phone is all they need,” Chabbra told IANS.
“Sometimes some chronic problems like a kidney patient needing a change of catheter or an asthmatic person needing a nebuliser, requires a paramedical team at their disposal. At other times during an emergency we have a team of doctors and paramedics going over to the person’s house and admitting him or her in the nearest hospital,” he explained.
“Everything depends on the telephonic conversation and if we feel that the patient is doubtful we are at their disposal,” he added.
According to Chabbra, the service costs between Rs.300 to 500 depending on the patient’s requirement.
“Not only is it economical, but also more convenient for older people to avail this service as it saves them the trouble of coming to the hospital for minor health problems,” he said.
ISIC officials are hopeful of extending the services to entire Delhi in the near future.
“Depending on the response we may extend our services to the whole of the capital. Tying up with other health centres who specialise in different fields is also on the top of our minds,” Chabbra said.
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