The Hindu : New Delhi News : A call centre with a difference

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Sunday, Aug 03, 2008
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New Delhi

A call centre with a difference

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: Encouraged by the popularity of its call centre providing information on reproductive and child health and family planning, the Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (National Population Stabilisation Fund) is hoping for private participation and cooperation from educational institutions for taking the concept to a larger population now.

The call centre, which can be accessed by dialling 011-66665555, is initially aimed at catering to Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Mewat but will eventually be opened in other towns and rural areas also. Already there is a move to take the call centre concept to Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where because of various socio-economic factors people belonging to all age groups, and particularly young people, do not have access to authentic information.

``We have already received 12,117 calls between April 23 and July 14, at times even more than 700 calls per day. The proportion of female callers is more than male callers with questions from women more on contraception (24 per cent) and those from men seeking information on sexual health or performance related issues (18 per cent),” says Shailaja Chandra, executive director of the Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh.

Overwhelming demand

There is an overwhelming demand for starting such service in regional languages also, but the proposition is expensive. ``Even running a scroll on television for 21 days costs Rs.11 lakh!” she says. ``We are hoping that the private sector would participate in spreading the message across and educational institutions can also come forward and inform the students about the call centre from where they can get authentic information on sexual health without any inhibitions,” Ms. Chandra explains.

She adds that call centres can function as non-controversial but highly authentic sources of information where students as well as parents and guardians can obtain information.

If the Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh is able to provide this authentic information in only 261 districts with low health indices, as is proposed by spreading this message under the National Rural Health Mission, as much as 50 per cent of the country’s population would be covered. The call centres are expected to fill a huge gap in information that medical experts have found exists in communicating with adolescents, about to be married and newly married as well as people of all ages. People are initially shy about visiting medical facilities and need guidance to address concerns like contraception, safe abortion, emergency contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive tract infection.

Question bank

The call centre provides information on all these issues besides HIV/AIDS, breast-related diseases, reproductive health concerns, infertility, abortion and menopause, points out Ms. Chandra. A question bank of 550 questions on these subjects was prepared with the help of doctors from Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, St. Stephen’s Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Kalawati Saran Children Hospital.

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