Govt. of India launches WhatsApp chatbot to answer COVID-19 queries
The Indian Government has finally decided to put its foot down on fake WhatsApp news as its Ministry of Health plans to collaborate with WhatsApp to launch a helpline number for offering COVID-19 related information. The helpline’s main focus would be to educate people about this pandemic and resolve people’s doubts pertaining to this disease.
With this launch, WhatsApp users across India can contact the Health Ministry on +91 9013151515 to verify any uncertain information on treatment practices and precautionary measures, or to just attain credible information on COVID-19.
In order to contact this helpline, citizens would require to the save the WhatsApp number in their contacts and message “Hi” to initiate the chat. As a basic move, the chatbot would quickly prompt a list of frequently asked questions or ask users to type in their query. Depending on the question, users would receive accurate information in the form of infographics, texts or videos.
Incidentally, Google has also made some changes in its search page in India with the campaign “DO THE FIVE. Help stop coronavirus”. The campaign comprises a link to the Ministry of Health page, giving users access to important information on the current pandemic along with real-time information on the number of positive cases, their location and registered deaths.
As per an official statement, the Government of India is exploring possible technology solutions to deal with the obstacles faced while countering Covid-19. Big Tech giants have approached the government with some suggestions to help create awareness. While the Google initiative was launched recently, talks are on for partnering with other platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, said that statement.
For the record, India is one of the largest markets for search engine giant Google. With around 400 million users, the country has emerged as the largest market for WhatsApp. Meanwhile, Facebook has over 260 million users in India, claim reports.
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Akshay Kedari
A qualified computer engineering graduate, Akshay Kedari takes pride in having his way with words. Following his passion for content creation, he writes insightful pieces on aeresearch.net and a few other portals. Also endorsed with a short-term experience in web development, Akshay lends expertise ...
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