On 18 March a helpline was opened to support and
coordinate assistance for people over the age of 60 who are at increased risk from COVID-19. Based in
St. Petersburg, it has been taking calls from across the country. The
initiative was spearheaded by the All-Russia People’s Front with support from
the Roscongress Foundation, the Association of Volunteer Centres, the
nationwide Medical Volunteers movement, Volunteers for the Constitution, and
Rostelecom.
“As the country finds itself in challenging situation,
the All-Russia People’s Front and the Roscongress Foundation have demonstrated the importance it places on
social responsibility. Over the years, they have
built up their organizational, personnel, and technical resources to the point where
it is able to supplement the measures taken by the Government of the Russian
Federation to combat the virus, while informing the public 24 hours a day,
collecting and processing statistical data which is then passed on to the
relevant organizations,” said Advisor to the President of the Russian
Federation Anton Kobyakov.
Employees from the
Roscongress Foundation have been working around the clock to provide various
services. These include providing same-day responses to questions on the spread
of the virus and preventative measures that can be taken. They also process
requests from elderly people and people with limited mobility for volunteers to
help with buying and delivering food, medication, and other essential items. In
addition, pensioners can call for guidance on purchasing goods and medicines
online.
“We realized how vital it was to get this project up
and running. Our organization put the entire
infrastructure in place, conducted the necessary technical work, and trained
specialists – all within a very short timeframe. All services to coordinate the
work done by employees are provided free of charge. We are aware that during
this difficult period, a gesture like this goes a long way,” said Alexander
Stuglev, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Roscongress
Foundation.
Analysts from the
Roscongress Foundation have confirmed that in the 10 days since it was
launched, more than 18,000 calls have come in
from every region of Russia, and more than 7,000 requests have been registered. “These figures
show that we receive over a hundred calls per minute. People most commonly call
to make a request for volunteers to help with delivering food, medication, and
other essential items. The technical infrastructure we have in place at the
Foundation means we have no difficulty handling this volume. The number of calls
we get grows each day, in proportion to the number of people who are finding
themselves in self-isolation,” said Maria Kiseleva, Head of the Roscongress
Foundation’s Delegate Management Directorate and initiator of the project.
The helpline to support
and coordinate assistance for people over the age of 60 who are at increased risk from COVID-19 is open 24
hours a day.
Helpline number: +7 (800) 200 3411.
