104, a great hit among rural women

Apart from expectant mothers, the helpline is also serving as a go-to source for young women and older women for advice on different types of issues regarding their personal and menstrual health. The services are a boon for women, who have very limited access to specialists in gynaecology in the interior parts of the state. 

Talking to DTNext, B Prabhudoss of 104 and 108 helplines said that apart from 24-hour doctors, the helpline has an obstetrician-gynaecologist on duty to attend to the queries. “Though we have doctors specialising in community health, a specialised OG has been able to meet their requirements. The service has met with good response, as younger women call up with doubts about physiological issues and middle aged women enquire about change in cycles, thyroid issues, etc. We have also had some specific queries on PCOS and fibroids. There are a number of misconceptions too regarding the same,” he says. He adds that there is a shift in paradigm, especially in the rural belts, to see women being proactive about health. 

“If a woman from Puliyampatti can be concerned about her thyroid levels or seeks information on miscarriage, it is a healthy sign. Women are not decision makers when it concerns their own health, but the calls we receive are an encouraging sign that this is changing.” He says that the new gen women and adolescents too have been in the forefront of availing the services. “This is largely due to the presence of 104 helpline boards in PHCS across the state; these have been creating awareness among the womenfolk.”