You can now find nearest vaccination centres on WhatsApp in India

Recently, Google and Amazon launched new services on respective apps Search, Maps and digital assistant Alexa that offer details on the nearest Covid-19 testing and vaccination centres in global regions including India.

Now, WhatsApp has joined hands with the Indian government to offer similar crucial information on its messenger app. Users just have to add a mobile number to their contact list and type in a keyword to interact with a chatbot, which will guide you with the right details.

"I am thinking of our friends in India going through such a difficult time with COVID and grateful for all the work people are doing to help one another. We're working with health partners to support helplines on WA(WhatsApp like this one from MyGov India handle," Will Cathcart, WhatsApp Chief, said.

Here's how to interact with the WhatsApp chatbot:
Step 1: Add the phone number--'9013151515' to your contact list
Step 2: Type 'Namaste’ to initiate communication with the chatbot
Step 3: Chabot reply with details on what information you can seek
Step 4: Then, you be asked to enter the six-digit Pincode of the residence
Step 5: Once you send the Pincode, it will list the centres with slots open to register for vaccination
Step 6: If there is none in that particular, you can type neighbouring areas Pincode to get more details. It will also give you an alternative option of registering on CoWIN website

MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot on WhatsApp. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit

Users can also follow the same procedure on the WhatsApp web version on PC. Just click this link (here)

Must read | Google Maps, Search app will now show nearby Covid-19 vaccination centres in India

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