Bengal plans 24x7 helpline for sick kids, pregnant women

Kolkata: West Bengal is mulling a 24x7 toll-free helpline to help transport pregnant women and sick infants to the nearest hospital in case of an emergency, an official said on Monday.

State health service director B.R. Satpathi said the proposal is "under consideration."

Under the initiative, a call centre would be set up for handling emergency calls and staffers would be connecting to ambulances and the nearest sick neonatal care unit (SNCU) or a hospital with an available bed, especially in remote areas.