Hello Doctor Launching Soon in Everest Region

Concerning the safety of Trekkers and mountaineers in the Everest region, an online emergency medical service is to be introduced by Everest Link, called Hello Doctor, reports The Kathmandu Post.

“Hello Doctor” is to be facilitated by wireless internet service providers in the high altitudes. It claimed to provide a high-speed Wi-Fi connection with a dedicated 2 Mbps bandwidth to each user. The tariff for 200 Mbps is Rs500 while the 100 Mbps service costs Rs300.

The Mountaineers will be able to call a doctor directly through Hello Doctor. The application will be launched during the peak tourist season to get more benefit of it.

The company said that users of Everest Link’s Wi-Fi connection will have access to a medical emergency button on the login page. The user can simply press the red alert button to call for help.

When the red emergency button is pressed, it will automatically redirect phone calls to doctors, and mountaineers can consult them directly about their medical emergencies.

If the mobile phone of the dedicated doctor is busy, it will automatically connect to another doctor, said Chehen Lama, Chief Technical Officer of the company.

“The service provides users an easy way to consult a doctor to avoid problems or take precautions against altitude sickness and other potential hazards while traveling in high altitude areas. Obviously, people worry about a variety of things when climbing mountains and their mind gets disturbed due to anxiety. Timely consultation can prevent lots of problems.”

However, if the case is serious, the Himalayan Rescue Association will immediately evacuate trekkers and mountaineers. “The Wi-Fi connection will also enable Everest Link to trace trekkers in case if they get lost in the Everest region,” said Lama.