KATHMANDU, JUN 10 -
The government’s public health hotline dubbed Hello Health has been receiving a significant number of phone calls from the people needing information and doctors’ suggestions on health problems , of which most are related to sexual and reproductive health.
Of the 150 calls the centre receives on an average daily, around 30 to 40 percent are for queries related to sexual and reproductive health.
The number which can be reached from all over the country is received by the hospital’s resident doctors, who answer queries to the best of their abilities.
Based at the telemedicine centre on the premises of Patan Hospital, Lagankhel, the toll-free number, 1115, attracts youngsters and adults to enquire about their sexual queries.
Bimal Gautam, an official looking after the telemedicine service, said they get queries especially from youngsters who are more interested in learning about problems regarding their sexual life or unwanted pregnancies or safe period cycles, among others.
“Consultations provided by doctors can often remedy ailments with over-the-counter drugs. However, people sometimes just want to ask about various issues bothering them. For this reason, the hotline is getting popular day by day,” said Gautam. “People sometimes just want to ask about their sexual health or issues bothering them. Since there is no face-to-face contact during the consultation or enquiry, it is easy for people to put in their queries.”
Dr Shristina Pradhan, the doctor with duty on Saturday, said while some callers seek suggestions to their problems there are others who give bluff calls, often embarrassing the doctor on the other end of the phone.
The hotline service was operational for 24 hours after Patan Hospital recruited 12 more medical doctors. The recruitment process was halted after a complaint was lodged with the Supreme Court against the appointment of a medical officer.
Apart from sexual queries, Dr Pradhan said, with the change of season, people were inquiring about common cold, diarrhoea and dysentery. “We also get calls from health centres in remote districts such as Mugu where health assistants and other health workers ask about the problems they face while treating patients,” she said.
The public health hotline was officially launched in October last year.
The government’s public health hotline dubbed Hello Health has been receiving a significant number of phone calls from the people needing information and doctors’ suggestions on health problems , of which most are related to sexual and reproductive health.
Of the 150 calls the centre receives on an average daily, around 30 to 40 percent are for queries related to sexual and reproductive health.
The number which can be reached from all over the country is received by the hospital’s resident doctors, who answer queries to the best of their abilities.
Based at the telemedicine centre on the premises of Patan Hospital, Lagankhel, the toll-free number, 1115, attracts youngsters and adults to enquire about their sexual queries.
Bimal Gautam, an official looking after the telemedicine service, said they get queries especially from youngsters who are more interested in learning about problems regarding their sexual life or unwanted pregnancies or safe period cycles, among others.
“Consultations provided by doctors can often remedy ailments with over-the-counter drugs. However, people sometimes just want to ask about various issues bothering them. For this reason, the hotline is getting popular day by day,” said Gautam. “People sometimes just want to ask about their sexual health or issues bothering them. Since there is no face-to-face contact during the consultation or enquiry, it is easy for people to put in their queries.”
Dr Shristina Pradhan, the doctor with duty on Saturday, said while some callers seek suggestions to their problems there are others who give bluff calls, often embarrassing the doctor on the other end of the phone.
The hotline service was operational for 24 hours after Patan Hospital recruited 12 more medical doctors. The recruitment process was halted after a complaint was lodged with the Supreme Court against the appointment of a medical officer.
Apart from sexual queries, Dr Pradhan said, with the change of season, people were inquiring about common cold, diarrhoea and dysentery. “We also get calls from health centres in remote districts such as Mugu where health assistants and other health workers ask about the problems they face while treating patients,” she said.
The public health hotline was officially launched in October last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment