The Saudi Ministry of Health’s 937 call center has proved to be a major success in dealing with the nation’s medical inquiries.
In September alone, more than 3,000 call handlers spread throughout the Kingdom fielded 1,955,944 queries, and during the same month the center provided 597,228 medical consultations and received 476,835 health care inquiries.
Ministry officials said that the center had booked 410,849 appointments at primary health care outlets, taken 136,691 reports, and dealt with 269,815 inquiries related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
Calls to the helpline peaked during the virus lockdown period as citizens sought advice on suspected cases of COVID-19 and safety instructions on visiting hospitals.
Hanadi Abdulhadi, a mother of 5-year-old twin boys, contacted the center in early September. “One of my boys contracted an infection in his throat but we couldn’t be sure what it was especially with the onset of a fever and the rest of the symptoms appearing later,” she told Arab News.
SOURCE ARABNEWS
