MoPH launches virtual health services
New services will help ensure safety for all: MoPH
IN light of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has activated a set of remote access channels to healthcare services at PHCC and HMC in collaboration with TASMU Smart Qatar, MoTC, Hukoomi and Qatar Post along with notable digital solution providers.
The new virtual healthcare services have been developed to ensure the safety of everyone by allowing patients to schedule an appointment with healthcare by dialing 16000 to have a virtual consultation with their healthcare provider, receiving medical advice, sick leave and get their medicine delivered to their doorstep.
16000 will also continue to provide a 24/ 7 call centre service for all enquiries in relation to the COVID-19.
The nationwide new remote healthcare service initiative is primarily applicable in three cases:
Virtual Consultations Patients requiring PHCC services can dial 16000 and choose the PHCC option, they will then be routed to a PHCC Community Call Center offering remote telephone and video consultations for patients requiring both routine and priority care.
The community call centre will be operating seven days a week from 7 am to 11 pm. Clients accessing this service can expect a video or telephone consultation with a physician that will provide them with advice, diagnosis and offer prescriptions. In addition, the service will assess those patients with routine conditions providing guidance.
The HMC has launched an innovative Urgent Consultation Service, enabling patients with non-life threatening conditions to speak to a specialist physician over the phone.
Patients can dial 16000 and will then be routed to an HMC coordinator who will triage their case before transferring them to a specialist.
This service will cover 11 specialties for urgent care needs in urology, cardiology, orthopaedics, general medicine, general surgery, dermatology, ENT, OBGYN, dental and paediatrics.
The specialists will also be able to check and book/rebook appointments if needed.
These services are available to all registered PHCC and HMC patients with health cards. HMC’s Department of Geriatrics has also launched a virtual clinic for patients enabling elderly patients to receive consultations in the comfort of their own homes.
This service has been launched to protect elderly residents in Qatar who have been advised by MoPH to stay home unless absolutely necessary.
Issuing sick leave certificates remotely
If patients are given care through a video or telephone consultation with their healthcare provider, and require a sick leave certificate, they will be issued sick leave electronically through the e-Jaza system, the patient can then download the sick leave certificate through this link: https:/ / www. qchp.org.qa/ en/ Pages/ ValidateEJaza.aspx available on the MoPH website, using QID/HC Number.
Medication refill delivery to patient’s home
The HMC and PHCC are working in partnership with Q-Post to have medications delivered to your home to ensure you can receive your required medications without having to attend the health centres or clinics.
This started with a segment of patients on March 25 and be will rolled out in phases to the rest of the population accordingly. Call centers Nesmaak at 16060 and Hayak at 107 will remain as is for routine calls but will add a capability to route calls that require urgent attention to 16000
The second phase of the remote access to the new healthcare mechanism is to provide access via a chatbot through the MoPH, PHCC or Hukoomi websites.
Enhancing remote access to healthcare at the time of COVID-19 crisis will help curb the rapid spread of the disease. MoPH, MoTC and TASMU in collaboration with key stakeholders will continue providing quality medical care to the people of Qatar in a timely and accurate manner.