DMS to recruit virus hotline volunteers

The Department of Medical Services (DMS) is recruiting more health workers to answer its Covid-19 Hotline, after a swathe of complaints about unattended calls.

Dr Somsak Akksilp, director-general of the DMS, yesterday admitted that many people can’t contact its 1668 hotline.

He said the hotline was only established two weeks ago to provide help to infected patients waiting for treatment.

The hotline currently has 20 phone lines to provide help, Dr Somsak said. Since April 9, officials have answered 3,600 calls, he said.

The lines reportedly helped identify about 1,700 carriers, 400 of whom were waiting for beds.

Dr Somsak said about 1,000 people are being infected per day, so now the DMS is announcing the recruitment of volunteers to answer more calls.

“However, it doesn’t mean that anyone can do this job,” he said.

“Those volunteers must work hard in the medical field to properly provide help.”

Dr Somsak said the volunteers will be able to answer calls from their homes because caller data will be transmitted to the hotline’s central system for follow ups on the patients’ symptoms.

The DMS is attempting to increase the number of available phone lines to provide help across the country. Health workers — such as public health officials and doctors — can also volunteer to help answer calls in the provinces.

The DMS will first recruit 100 nurses, followed by doctors and more nurses.

All of them will voluntarily answer the hotline in their free time, after treating their patients. In the next round, the DMS plans to recruit another 230 health volunteers.

Dr Somsak asked for understanding and advised people to add “@sabaideebot” on the Line social media application and key in their name, address and phone number for convenience. The handle serves as an alternative to the

DMS’ hotline. It provides information on Covid-19 related topics.

Anutin Charnvirakul, Public Health Minister, has also pledged to increase the number of phone lines available for the hotline. “As many people are not sure if they are infected, they tend to contact the 1668 hotline to talk with doctors,” Mr Anutin said. “When doctors are on calls, they cannot hang up until problems are solved.”