The 104 helpline is no longer a free call. Calls to 104 service have come down drastically.
The reason – service providers are charging for the calls made, as they are not been paid by the HMRI Management. The calls made through BSNL service is free. Only the 108 service is free.
As per the secretary of 104 employees union and health advise officer of the call center, they were unable to answer many calls during peak hours due to shortage of staff. As per the MoU between the Government and HMRI, the call center should answer 50,000 calls per day. For this, the state government is paying Rs.2 Crore to HMRI every month towards call center charges.
The State Government has taken over the FDHS from HMRI but it is said to continue for 104 health helpline with HMRI because of the software.