The Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) and the Ahmedabad Family Physicians Association (AFPA) have rolled out their annual Doctor on Call social service initiative for Diwali week. The free helpline will run continuously from 7 November to 13 November 2026, so that residents can get medical advice at any hour while clinics and outpatient departments stay shut for the festival.

Free advice, day and night

The helpline works on a two-tier system. Senior medical coordinators answer calls personally, offer immediate medical advice and prescribe basic line-of-treatment guidance, all free of charge.

If a caller shows severe symptoms that need hospitalisation, surgical evaluation or intensive diagnostic tests, the coordination team connects the patient with on-call specialists and nearby health facilities that are open during the holidays.

What the helpline covers

Residents can call for help with food poisoning, minor cracker burns, respiratory distress caused by smog, and other sudden health problems that come up during Diwali celebrations.

The service is meant to plug the gap left when private clinics pull down their shutters for the festival. During peak festival days, finding an available specialist can take precious time, and the helpline is designed to cut that delay.

Six doctors on the call list

The associations have released a direct contact list of six primary doctor coordinators who will manage the phone lines through the week: Dr Dhiren Mehta (+91 9898854158), Dr Ashwin Shah (+91 9824038816), Dr Sunil Patel (+91 9879225294), Dr Ramesh Patel (+91 9426495264), Dr Jyotindra Mehta (+91 9825039653) and Dr Parth Patel (+91 9924119778).

For life-threatening injuries, major firework trauma or acute cardiac events, citizens should call the state 108 emergency service directly for ambulance transport, while also reaching out to the helpline.

Peace of mind for families

AMA President Dr Kalpita Dave, AMA Honorary Secretary Dr Maulik Sheth, AFPA President Dr Ramesh I. Patel and AFPA Honorary Secretary Dr Mehul Shelat said in a joint statement that their single point of focus is to offer care, complete peace of mind and immediate relief so that every family across Ahmedabad can celebrate a safe, healthy and worry-free Diwali.

The initiative carries forward a community tradition built over the past decade, with the two medical bodies joining hands each year to make sure no resident is left stranded during a health emergency in the festive week.