24-hour call centre to help patients soon

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Gulf News

Dubai The Ministry of Health in partnership with du will soon launch a 24-hour call centre manned by certified physicians who will provide immediate heath care needs to patients.

Doctors will be on call seven days of the week and they will be the first line of defence before any emergency, a du executive said yesterday at the launch of the service.

The telecom company is working with a leading Dubai hospital and some of its patients on a pilot programme before it becomes operational in the third quarter of this year.

The health initiative called ‘Your Health in Your Hands’ was launched at the du headquarters in the Dubai Media City. Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health, said it was an “important initiative that aims to enhance health and awareness among the public”.

The ‘doctors on call’ programme is in partnership with the US-based Mobile Doctors 24-7. Subscribers will be able to reach a doctor within a minute of calling the number who will help the caller with his or her health care needs. In the near future this service will be tied up with major hospitals to where the patients can be referred if there is a need.

Dr Jamie McReynolds, chief medical officer of Mobile Doctors, said this alternative health care delivery system will fill in the gap of providing a patient access to care at the right time and when they need it. She said this will empower patients and allow them to engage with health care providers in real time. The medical officer said that with an ageing population and the multiple diseases in the population, this will reduce errors.

The telecom company also yesterday launched Health Link, which offers remote monitoring systems for management of chronic diseases as diabetes, obesity, respiratory and heart diseases. It has partnered with Ericsson on a pilot project which will connect patients and doctors across the UAE through mobile SIM-embedded devices, such as blood pressure monitors and blood sugar testers. The patient information will be scrambled and will be secure, said an Ericsson executive.

facilities

text services

n du also launched yesterday Health Text services

n It offers bouquet of SMS based tips, suggestions, factoids and advice

n Tips to quit smoking in a 8-week daily SMS programme

n To subscribe SMS ‘SUB LWL’ to 5544. (Live Well)

n SMS ‘SUB HH’ to same number (Her Health)

n SMS ‘SUB QS’ (Quit Smoke)

By Mahmood Saberi?Senior Reporter