Mangalore/Hubli, June 20: It has been reported that Arogyavani, a helpline (104) has been launched by U T Khader, stae minister for health and family welfare on Wednesday at Hubli.In order to provide medical advice, counseling, information on medical directory and to register complaints, a toll free round the clock helpline was set up on the IT Park premises at Hubli.
The health minister said that the call centre set up in association with the Hyderabad-based Health Management and Research Institute (HMRI) has the capacity of100 seats now and that will be increased to 300 in the next three years, he said.
The call centre has the capacity to receive 10,000 calls per day, and its staff includes health advisors and medical officers. Generic drugs will also be prescribed through SMS and HMRI representatives, Khader said.
The government will open drug stalls in every district hospital during the first phase. Drugs would be available here at subsidized rates. In the second phase, such stalls would be set up at taluk and hobli levels. The government will give priority to upgrade all the district hospitals and community health centers in the coming budget, for the benefit of the poor and the needy, Khader added.
