Buladi, the advocate of safe sex

Buladi went missing for months. Now she promises to be back ? with a call centre.

For more than a month, the cloth doll with fat cheeks, the state government?s dead-pan AIDS mascot who seems to be everywhere, was actually not there. Even as she kept bombarding the public with her strangely candid messages on safe sex from radio, television and billboards, all calls to 1097 ? the helpline on AIDS prevention that Buladi advocates ? met with a mechanised voice that said that the number was not accessible.

It led to doubts about the efficacy of one of the biggest and most popular AIDS awareness campaigns in the country, launched by West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society through numerous billboards, television and radio spots across the state.

But now, health officials say that Buladi lost her voice only to get a stronger one.

?In July, we are centralising 1097, our helpline on HIV/AIDS and sexuality-related matters, through a call centre,? a spokesperson said.

The centre will have 16 counsellors, floor supervisors and a manager. ?We have outsourced an agency which has set up call centres for big companies in Calcutta,? according to the spokesperson.

?It will be like any modern call centre. There will be 16 work stations, from where counsellors will answer queries. If they miss a call, the experts will call back,? she added.

?The helpline will be accessible every day from 7 am to 11 pm. We had entrusted NGOs in districts to run the helpline previously. We decided to centralise the helpline for easier accessibility and better coordination,? she added.

The AIDS prevention society admitted lapses on Buladi?s part. ?Sometimes, there would be a delay in taking calls as the counsellors could not make it on time. They would also miss calls when a change of duty was being effected. Centralisation will help us eliminate these problems,? the spokesperson added.

Buladi receives more than 100 calls a day from Calcutta alone.

?Earlier strikes, rain and other causes would also disrupt our service. But now, it will be continuous. If we discover there is a need, we will make the call centre operational for 24 hours,? says the spokesperson.

Let?s hope Buladi stays put this time.