Establishment of a Rapid Phone Consultation Service for COVID-19 Public Health Support in Nepal

Abstract

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic strained the already weak health system of Nepal, especially during the surge of the delta variant. A telephonic consultation service was rapidly established to provide free consultations to assist those in home isolation due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. In this study, we describe the process of establishing the hotline and share preliminary findings. During the peak of the delta wave in Nepal, the hotline was started by a local nonprofit organization. MethodologyWe established the hotline with help of a private telecommunication company. The hotline was advertised on social media, radio, and newspapers. Healthcare workers were recruited and trained and the service was provided for free. Patient data were recorded and de-identified for analysis, monitoring, and evaluation. ResultsThe majority of the callers were from Kathmandu valley, which includes three districts, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur. Overall, 44% of the callers inquired about the clinical manifestations of COVID-19. On average, there were 75 calls each day between May 2021 and February 2022. The average call duration was three minutes and 42 seconds. Trained healthcare workers answered the calls for 15.5 hours a day. ConclusionsOur work established the feasibility of a rapid hotline service in response to the pandemic causing high strain on the health system. Lessons learned from this experience can be useful for future disasters in Nepal and other places with similar health system strains.

Covid-19 hotlines, helplines and call centers: a systematic review of characteristics, challenges and lessons learned

“…As Table 1 shows 18 Studies were undertaken in the Asia (India [ 36 – 43 ], China [ 30 , 44 – 47 ], Qatar [ 48 , 49 ], Bangladesh [ 50 ], Indonesia [ 51 ], Nepal [ 52 ]), 11 in the North America (United States [ 17 , 20 , 29 , 31 , 53 – 58 ], Dominican Republic [ 59 ]), 10 in the Europe (Austria [ 60 ], France [ 61 ], United Kingdom (UK) [ 62 , 63 ], Slovenia [ 64 ], German [ 65 ], Ireland [ 66 ], Poland [ 16 ], Serbia [ 67 ], Spain [ 68 ]), 3 in Africa (Tunisia [ 69 ], Egypt [ 70 ], Uganda [ 71 ]), and 1 in South America (Bolivia [ 22 ]). Among them, 11 studies were published in 2020, 11 in 2021, 9 in 2022, and 12 in 2023, and a summary of them is presented in Table 1 .…”

“…Family relationship problems were reported by most callers in the later stage of the epidemic. 30 Singh et al, 2022 [ 52 ] Nepal Describing the process of creating the hotline and preliminary findings from 10 months of free Covid-19 hotline phone service across Nepal Quantitative Covid-19 hotline/ Public May 2021 until now/ 15.5 h a day (6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.) Teleconsultation services for those infected with Covid-19 Covid-19 queries The hotline service was successful based on the number of calls answered and the utilization of the phone service widely during the peak of the pandemic. On average, there were 75 calls each day in the months of May and June 2021.…”

“…According to the finding, most of the studies aimed to describe a Covid-19 hotline/helpline/call center [ 17 , 20 , 29 , 31 , 40 , 44 , 49 , 52 , 56 , 58 – 65 , 69 ], analyze the calls [ 16 , 20 , 22 , 29 , 30 , 37 – 43 , 45 – 47 , 49 – 52 , 54 , 55 , 57 – 68 , 71 ] and the demographic characteristics of the callers [ 16 , 22 , 29 , 30 , 37 , 38 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 48 – 50 , 54 , 58 – 60 , 65 , 68 , 70 ], examine the callers’ feedback on the hotline/helpline/call center [ 30 , 31 , 36 – 38 , 52 , 59 , 60 , 62 , 69 , 70 ], and assess hotline/helpline/call center volunteers’ experiences [ 53 , 66 , 71 ].…”

Home Isolation Kits Designed and Distributed Support COVID-19 Patients Across Nepal - A Field Action Report

“…An instructional video was also provided using QR code. Each kit also had a partner organization, ASK Foundation's, COVID-19 support phone number included [7]. Once agreement was reached, the kits were sent to respective municipalities (Figure 3).…”

“…The kits were disseminated on a need-and availability basis, and estimated to be used by nearly 7000 individuals across the country. Per ASK Foundation's report, more calls to the hotline were received from the HIK distributed sites [7].…”