Durban North doctors saluted for national helpline work
The doctors took calls to assist patients with Covid-19 queries and offer free advice to people across the county.
SEVERAL Durban North doctors were among a group of 450 doctors who volunteered to take part in the National Covid-19 Doctors on Call helpline.
The doctors took calls to assist patients with Covid-19 queries and offer free advice to people across the county.
Funding for the project has dried up after five months, although some doctors are continuing to volunteer at their own cost.
Dr Anuschka Coovadia, who was involved in organising the initiative said the service operated from 8am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, with up to 10 doctors responding to calls in hourly slot.
Also read:Greenwood Park nurses shine in pandemic
“We started on a wing and a prayer the day before the hard lockdown in March. We came together as a group of 450 doctors across the country to serve our country. Five months later we have received over 40 000 calls, reached over 10 million people and supported free testing for thousands of South Africans. We really had some tough times, but we stayed together and built some lasting friendships,” she said.
Dr Mags Moodley, a general practitioner in Greenwood Park received a certificate for his participation in the programme.
“The initiative was run by doctors for the public. We were available to advise people if they needed Covid-19 testing. We were one of the biggest links for the public to get information. Unfortunately funding has now stopped.We have been acknowledged by the Department of Health for the work we have done,” he said.
Also read: Durban drug withdrawal treatment gives homeless hope
Durban North general practitioner, Dr Rajeev Bangalee said the programme had helped people in far reaching areas get vital medical advice.
“I tried to offer as much time as I could. It was almost five hours every week that I volunteered my services for about an hour a day throughout the day. I received calls from throughout the country, so it was an eye opener to see how the outbreak affected the country. A lot of the calls we received were from outlying areas so it was great to be able to help people who were scared and nervous. The feedback I got was that people were very grateful for the service,” he said.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
