In order to ensure that the citizens of Delhi have easy access to credible information around Covid-19, the Health & Family Welfare Department of Government of Delhi has launched a dedicated WhatsApp helpline number. This service is free-to-use and will act as a central source for accurate, trustworthy and up-to-date information on the ongoing pandemic, as per WhatsApp's official release.

The coronavirus Helpline is an automated ‘chatbot’ service, which will allow citizens to get verified answers to questions about coronavirus within 24 hours. The service will provide information on topics such as coronavirus prevention and symptoms along with tips on containment, other service helpline numbers, applying for e-passes and general information on measures that the state is taking to tackle this crisis.

How does it work?

To use the free Delhi government corona helpline on WhatsApp, users have to save the number +91 88000 07722 on their phones and then text the word ‘Hi’ via a WhatsApp message to get started. This service has been built on the WhatsApp Business API, using Infobip India and will be available in English.

Urging citizens to be vigilant and rely on official sources for information, Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi stated in the official release, “The Delhi government is happy to partner with WhatsApp to establish a dedicated coronavirus helpline for its residents to ensure that all your queries related to Coronavirus are answered with credible and accurate information.”

He further informed that his government is doing everything they can to keep their citizens safe in these challenging times. He also urged everyone to stay indoors and ensure they rely only on verified channels of information.

Commenting on this initiative, Abhijit Bose, Head of India for WhatsApp, added, “Our focus, at this point in time, is to make sure every citizen can access credible and accurate health information. We value the opportunity to support the Government of Delhi and urge people to do their part by relying on authentic and official sources of information.”

In addition to the MyGov central helpline, similar services have been introduced in several states of India to empower users to find credible information both in English and their specific regional language. Users can now reach Health Ministries of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Kerala on WhatsApp.

More state will launch the service in the following days.

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