A dedicated COVID-19 care helpline was launched by several service organisations in Coonoor in collaboration with the Nilgiris district administration on Monday.
In a release, the service organisations that include the Coonoor Citizens’ Forum and “Clean Coonoor,” said the helpline was set up to provide information and guidance to the Nilgiris residents on RT-PCR test centres, ambulance services, public and private hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in the area, as well as assisting in ensuring home delivery of medicines, groceries and food to people who require assistance.
People manning the helpline would also provide information on vaccine centres, funeral services and volunteers to deliver goods to people’s houses.
“Under the initiative, the 24-hours multi-lingual helpline operators (supported by Information Evolution India Pvt. Ltd.) respond to queries on phone and WhatsApp free of cost. An extensive directory covering various businesses and services around the district, including Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Gudalur, and Pandalur have been aggregated for the purpose,” the release said. The same information can be accessed via the local website www.nilgiriscovidcare.in.
The initiative aims at supporting the district administration’s official helpline 1077. “The aim is to reduce the workload for the government helpline which is inundated with calls on numerous COVID-19 related issues,” said a representative from one of the NGOs that is spearheading the initiative. The Nilgiris COVIDCARE helpline can be reached via phone at 93424-99889.
