K'taka govt launches "Apthamitra" helpline and App to fight COVID-19

Bengaluru, Apr 22 () Aimed at empowering people in itsfight against coronavirus, the Karnataka government onWednesday launched "Apthamitra" helpline with an exclusivetoll free number and a mobile app, aimed at providing requiredmedical advice and guidance for those in need. The help line and app was launched by Chief Minister B SYediyurappa in the presence of senior Ministers and officialsof the department.

"If anyone has symptoms of coronavirus, they can call thehelpline from their home, get medical advice or assistance andget their doubts cleared.

Based on the symptoms, an expert team of doctors willadvice on what to do next," he said.

According to the department, the 'Apthamitra' helplinewill work from 8 AM to 8 PM, with helpline Centers at sixlocations in Bengaluru (four centers), Mysore and Mangalore(Bantwal) with total of 300 seat capacity are being set up.

It's a two tier system where the first tier is manned byAYUSH or nursing or pharma final year volunteer students.

The second tier is manned by MBBS or Integrated Medicineor AYUSH volunteer doctors connecting from their respectivelocations for risk assessment, counselling, telemedicine andreferral for testing and treatment, it added. The helpline "14410" will cover residents in all parts ofthe state.

While the 'Apthamitra' App is for those with smart phoneto seek advice for telemedicine from doctors directly.

The purpose of this initiative is to reach out to people,especially those staying in Corona hotspot areas, identifythose having Influenza Like Illness (ILI), Severe AcuteRespiratory Infection (SERI), coronavirus like symptoms orhaving high risk of getting infected, the state healthdepartment said.

It also intends to identify people with low risk, buthaving some symptoms similar to those of coronavirus andprovide them telemedicine support with OTC medicines, andcounsel them for self-quarantine.

It also aims to follow-up all low risk cases till theyget fully cured, along with assessing those having medium tohigh risk of coronavirus and get them to fever clinics orCOVID-19 screening centers for testing and treatment, thedepartment said in a release.

The intention of the platform is to analyse incidence ofIlI, inform decisions for graded relaxation of the lockdown toresume economic activities in areas with low prevalence of thesymptoms while stepping up containment measures in hotspots,clusters and disease break-out areas, it said.

This entire Solution is owned by Health and FamilyWelfare Department and State Disaster Management Authority.

The system works under the aegis of NASSCOM, Bengaluru.

The Digital Mobile app and the back end CRM system havebeen developed by Infosys BPM (the subsidiary of Infosys Ltd),the release said.

Further Infosys BPM and Hinduja Global Solutions haveworked together to design, build and execute the Multi-Channelcustomer contact Solution with the Contact Center Infra beingprovided by Infosys, HGS, Concentrix, MPhasis and HCL aspartners in the fight against coronavirus,it added. KSU APRRAVINDRANATH APRRAVINDRANATH