Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar's Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), together with relevant authorities, has been working above and beyond to protect the health and safety of its population.
In addition to ensuring the availability of COVID-19 testing centers, treatment facilities, one of the Ministry's first responses to the crisis was setting up a dedicated hotline for the public.
The hotline 16000 has played an important role in answering public queries regarding COVID-19 while also enabling the public and healthcare staff to access main health care services provided by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
The toll-free hotline, which is accessible round the clock, has received about 1.7 million calls since its launch in March 2020.
Out of these, over 552,000 calls focused on requesting information or services pertaining to COVID-19. Other calls were made to seek different services that the hotline offers.
The hotline supported several people with COVID-19 to get urgent and quick care. This was particularly helpful amid the peak of the pandemic in Qatar, facilitating the process of classifying cases and directing them to home quarantine or isolation facilities.
The hotline also helped in contact tracing to detect new potential cases of COVID-19 in Qatar, which in turn slowed down the rate of the infection spread in the country.
The free hotline 16000, dedicated to COVID-19 inquiries, received about 1.7 million calls since it was launched by the Ministry of Public Health in March. #QNA pic.twitter.com/whpx6Q0mS5
— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) December 30, 2020
In addition to helping the public in various ways, the helpline assisted over 220,000 individuals to speak to HMC doctors to gain urgent medical advice remotely (via phone and video calls).
The hotline also allowed several people to enjoy medical delivery services. As of December 3, as many as 252,433 patients had medicines delivered to their homes.
Also available through this hotline is the National Mental Health Helpline, which has gotten over 15,000 calls from individuals seeking support, especially those suffering from psychological pressures and anxiety due to the pandemic.
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