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This website was created by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), part of the OECD Public Governance Directorate (GOV).

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Virtual appointments/ Medical Consultation/ Electronic Sick Leaves/Self assessment Chatbot

Innovative response

The Ministry of Public Health in Qatar developed and supported many different initiatives during the Covid-19 crisis to ensure the safety of its nation, such as:

1- Provide a telephonic/video medical consultation & virtual appointments with physicians to patients with medical queries where patients enter virtual consultation rooms with their doctors and other specialists can be added.
Then electronic sick leaves can be issued through the MoPH website
This service was launched in collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the TASMU Smart Qatar Program (part of the Ministry of Transport and Communications)

2- MoPH, PHCC, and HMC have launched a webpage with credible information regarding COVID-19 for the residents’ usage, which includes a pop-up COVID-19 self-assessment chatbot

3- MoPH and TASMU have launched 13 virtual clinics across their primary care (PHCC) and secondary/tertiary care (HMC and Sidra) facilities, and 5 laborer compounds.

The 13 virtual clinics include:
o Geriatrics memory clinic
o Urgent care for primary health care
o Mobile doctors clinics for the specialist ambulatory department
o Mental health services for Responders and Frontline
o Healthcare staff medical center clinic
o Mental health services for 3 general public clinics (Children & Adolescents, Adults, and Older Adults)
o 2 outpatient physiotherapy clinics (separate for men and women)
o Diabetes education clinic
o Endocrine dietitian clinic
o Dental clinic for primary health care

Specific issues addressed and anticipated impact

Reduce patients’ visits to the hospitals and health centers as much as possible in order to comply with the measures of social distancing and reduce the spread of COVID-19

Organisations/institutions involved

Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)
Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC)
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)
TASMU Smart Qatar Program (part of the Ministry of Transport and Communications)

Potential issues

No answer provided as of yet

Issues being addressed:

  • Patient care
  • Health and safety of responders

Response contact:

maalhammadi@motc.gov.qa

Response tags:

Date Submitted:

27 April 2020