Truecaller introduces COVID hospital directory feature for users in India

Truecaller has now launched a Covid Hospital Directory for its users in India.

The directory is built right into the application and you can access it from either the menu or the dialer.

The directory includes telephone numbers and addresses of various Covid-designated hospitals.

These hospitals are spread across multiple states in the country and are sourced from official government databases.

There is a search button that will help you quickly find the required information. It is important to note that it does not assure hospital bed availability.

“We wanted to quickly introduce a simple directory of important numbers for Covid-related services. We have started with this hospital list and we’re working to add more verified sources soon,” Rishit Jhunjhunwala, Managing Director India, Truecaller said.

“We offer the support of the entire organisation and the Truecaller platform, for anyone that we can help,“ he added.

Twitter also introduced a Covid-19 vaccine fact box on user timelines earlier this week which aims to encourage more people to get vaccinated.

The platform even introduced a new advanced feature that lets users search for relevant results closer to them. Check out the link below to know more about the feature.

“As COVID-19 vaccinations become more widely available, we want you to have access to the latest vaccine info in your country. This week you’ll see a prompt in your timeline that links to sources about vaccine safety, efficacy, and news from public health experts,” Twitter said in a tweet.

The availability of the new features by these platforms come at a time when people are using social media heavily to seek information about hospitals, beds, oxygen cylinders, Covi-treating drugs like Remdesivir and other medical necessities to treat their family and friends.

India reported 3.79 lakh new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, its sharpest spike since the pandemic first gripped the country last year. With this the total caseload rose to 1.8 crore. Meanwhile, with 3,645 deaths, the death toll surged to 2.04 lakh.

Nearly 1.33 crore people registered on the Co-Win platform for the next phase of the nationwide coronavirus vaccination drive, which will cover all adults between the ages of 18 and 45.

However, with several states flagging an acute shortage of vaccines, the government is faced with a daunting task. Huge pressure is expected since many young men and women will seek vaccination and want to get back to work at the earliest.

As hospitals across the country grapple with an influx of critically ill Covid-19 patients, the demand for medical oxygen has increased by 67 per cent in the last nine days, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The demand has spread from 12 states on April 15 to 22 states on April 24.