The first of its kind initiative in India is a joint collaboration between the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Voice Gate Technologies and BSNL.
What is IVRS and how it works
The IVRS is a toll free helpline that can be accessed by dialing ‘12506’ from any of the BSNL telephones in Andhra Pradesh. Callers can access information on everything about the flu.
This system works exactly like the railway station enquiry helpline service. When a caller dials 12506, all his queries will be answered through an ‘automated voice response service’, which asks him to choose options from menu. Currently, the service is available in English, Telugu and Hindi language.
People who dial from other states can access the information in their mother tongue. The expansion to other languages is likely to happen soon.
Once the language is selected, the information can be accessed on queries like what are the symptoms, who to contact and when, where to go, how the flu spreads, dos and don’ts, and much more.
The contact numbers of the 'State’s swine flu management facilities' can be traced by typing an SMS reading `H1N1HYD’ and sending it to '55352' to receive the information.
Though the SMS can be sent from other states also, but as for now, the facility is restricted to the state capital. Therefore, a person in Chennai needs to send `H1N1Che’ to ‘55352’ while a Mumbaikar needs to key in `H1N1Mum’.
Origin of the system
IVRS is the product of Syed Mohammad, managing director of Voice Gate Technologies and father of Syed Reyhan, who contracted the swine flu infection while holidaying in Canada. “I was at a total loss about what to do because there was no information available about swine flu.” he said.
The landline and mobile networks will be provided by BSNL along with Voice Gate who will make available the computer servers to host the IVRS. For the content, Dr K Subhakar, coordinator of the AP Swine Flu Nodal Center, has been roped in.
Right now, all the Telugu messages on IVRS have been voiced by Dr Subhakar himself.
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