Apollo Tyres and Ashok Leyland launch ‘Saarthi’ COVID helpline for trucking community

Available in 5 languages, the pan-India helpline will support truck drivers, helpers and their family members

Apollo Tyres and Ashok Leyland have together launched ‘Saarthi’ COVID helpline for the trucking community. This helpline, targeted towards truck drivers, helpers and their family members, will provide COVID Consultation, Vaccination Guidance and non-COVID consultation (for other diseases). This pan-India helpline service is available in 5 languages – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Assamese – as of now. Telerad Foundation is the technical partner for the helpline service.

File photo of a Healthcare Centre for truck drivers jointly set up by Ashok Leyland and Apollo Tyres in 2020

To avail the services, members of the trucking community can call on 7028105333, between 1000 to 1700 hours from Monday to Saturday.

Members of the trucking community, who have tested COVID positive, and are in home quarantine, can get Doctor Consultation by calling on the helpline. They can also get guidance on nutrition during the infection period. For non-COVID patients, Doctor Consultation and prescription would be provided as a part of the ‘Saarthi’ initiative.

Beneficiaries from the trucking community seeking guidance on Vaccination, will be provided with counselling to clear their doubts regarding the vaccine, help with registration on COWIN / Arogya Setu portal, scheduling of appointment at the nearest government hospital, help with downloading of vaccination certificate and post vaccination medical assistance, if required.

Since 1994, Ashok Leyland has been educating the driving community on good driving practices through the establishment of the Driver Training Institutes. Currently, 11 Driver Training Institutes are operational across the country and cumulatively 14,82,462 drivers have been educated since inception, through various sessions.

Apollo Tyres launched its healthcare initiative in 2000 and has since reached out to nearly 50 lakh people with its HIV-AIDS Awareness and Prevention, Vision Care, Tuberculosis, and other healthcare services in 31 centres across the country. The company has won multiple awards for its pioneering and effective work with the trucking community.