Hyderabad: OGH launches dedicated helpline for round-the-clock patient assistance

Hyderabad: Osmania General Hospital (OGH) has launched a dedicated helpline for round-the-clock patient assistance.

The initiative aims to provide uninterrupted mobility and navigational support for patients and their caregivers across the vast hospital premises.

24/7 Help Desk and Helpline Now Operational

The 24x7x365 assistance service will be operated from a newly created facility next to the ramp in the OP Block, near the casualty section of the hospital. The space has been repurposed into a war room-style Help Desk, accessible via helpline number 7780288622.

A team of over 20 trained volunteers from the Helping Hand Foundation (HHF) will manage the Help Desk in three shifts, ensuring constant availability of stretchers, wheelchairs, and navigation assistance within the hospital complex.

“This kind of support is especially critical at night when nearly 25% of medical emergencies are reported,” said Dr. Rakesh Sahay, Superintendent of OGH. “Our dialysis unit alone operates round the clock and sees about 120–130 patients daily. Timely mobility support in such settings can be lifesaving.”

Implementation Through Public-Private Collaboration

The service is being supported by Basheer & Sarwar Babu Khan Human Development Trust (BSB HDT), which has partnered with HHF for implementation.

“Our aim is to strengthen public health systems through long-term support,” said Salman Babu Khan of BSB HDT. “We are supporting organizations like HHF which are already embedded in the public healthcare framework. In the first year, we are reaching over 15 government hospitals with 80-plus community health workers.”

Services for Homeless and Vulnerable Patients

Apart from mobility and navigation support, the Help Desk will assist in the treatment of unknown or homeless patients often found on the premises. Social health workers at OGH will coordinate with the volunteers to ensure such individuals are cleaned, clothed, and lined up for medical attention.

Formal Launch Ceremony

The Help Desk facility was formally inaugurated today by Salman Babu Khan, in the presence of Dr. Rakesh Sahay and senior hospital officials. The service marks the first time that OGH will offer structured, round-the-clock non-medical patient support on such a scale.

Hospital administrators expressed hope that this initiative would reduce response times in critical situations and improve the overall patient experience in one of Hyderabad’s most crowded public health facilities.