To tide over the national emergency caused by soaring cases of Covid across the country straining medical facilities and infrastructure like availability of hospital beds etc. the BJP National President has launched a national Doctor Helpline which would be catered to by the BJYM (Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha), the BJP’s youth wing.

The BJP National President tweeted about the Doctor Helpline stating that, “People from any part of the country can call the helpline to get medical advice.” He further stated that the helpline will cater to people in multiple languages to ensure assistance to people across the country in all regions.

Tejasvi Surya, the President of BJYM and an young MP, explained the concept behind the launch of the Doctor Helpline. He said that this initiative is to help Covid positive people in home quarantine get good medical advice and reduce unnecessary hospitalisation, so that hospital resources can be used for critical patients with severe infection.

Tejasvi said that 98% of the people infected by Covid do not need hospitalisation and can be treated in isolation at home with due consultation with the doctors. He said that, due to panic, several people rush to hospitals without consulting doctors for getting themselves admitted even when their cases do not need hospitalisation.

These cases put a strain on the resources and cause paucity of hospital beds and other advanced treatment for serious Covid cases which need hospitalisation.

Tejasvi in an interview to Anand Narasimhan of News 18, explained how the Helpline works. He said that people have to simply dial in the given telephone number: 080 68173286. After 15 to 20 minutes of dialling the number, the person would be contacted by a well qualified Doctor for free teleconsultation. The doctor would advise the Covid positive patient who requires home quarantine what medicines are required and what kind of diet, exercises and precautions are to be taken for their treatment.

The Helpline would also send a message to a person seeking help in their preferred language, an SMS which would contain the phone numbers of the local BJYM members and office. People can call up the local BJYM office for help regarding supply of groceries, medicines and even food during the home quarantine period, which would be provided at their door step by the BJYM workers free of cost.

This initiative by the BJP is very welcome, given that Covid infection is very rampant across India, many a times infecting the whole family. So, a timely help to get doctor’s advise free of cost with supply of medicines, groceries and food would help several poor and lower middle class families who are worst affected due to the pandemic.

This Helpline would also allay the fear and panic set in by many fake news spreaders with a view to cause mayhem across the country and indulge in vulture politics apart from decongesting hospital facilities by reserving them only for serious cases.

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