Health Helpline to replace foeticide alert system

Baldev Purusharth,MD,NHRM,says the heath helpline is expected to start very soon and once it is functional the helpline number would be made public. He adds that the helpline number can be called on any work day,during office hours,and the caller can register any kind of complaint regarding health services.

The caller can,for instance,inform the department about doctors or other staff not being on duty in a government hospital. Similarly,the caller can report to the hospital if a doctor is indulging in private practice or any illegal work. The caller can also report the facilities missing in government hospitals,as also give information regarding the medical equipment which is not functioning.

Other than information on the functioning of government hospitals,the callers can lodge complaints against chemist shops that might be selling overpriced or spurious medicines. The helpline would also be used by the department to gather information about chemist shops,especially in small towns and rural areas which are selling habit forming drugs.

The complaints received at the helpline would be registered by the staff manning the call station and forwarded to the health department for further action. The callers can also complain regarding cleanliness and sanitation in their areas. Such complaints would be sent to the relevant departments.

In October 2009,NRHM Punjab had started the country’s first female foeticide helpline service. The caller could dial the number 4005252 and give information regarding instances of female foeticide. The project was aimed to break the conspiracy of silence and encourage women,family members and neighbours to inform health authorities about cases in which pregnant women were being or had been forced to abort a female child. Calls made to this number were kept anonymous.

“The health helpline would continue to have this facility. We have only broadened the scope of the helpline,” said Purusharth,adding that the calls to this helpline number would also be kept anonymous in case the caller so wishes.

The female foeticide helpline continued for barely a year after it was started as the project was not widely advertised. Now for several months the female foeticide help line has not received any call at all. “Since we are now revamping the system and intend to begin afresh,we did not feel the need to advertise the old number. We will be issuing advertisements about the new helpline service soon,” said Purusharth.