Dubai to provide residents free medical consultation on coronavirus

On Wednesday, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said that all Dubai residents can contact the DHA via voice or video calls 24/7 for free medical consultations regarding the Covid-19 coronavirus.

DHA launched the ‘Doctor for Every Citizen’ initiative in December last year to adhere to the Article 5 mandate of the Fifty-Year Charter that offered family medical consultations for Emiratis.

Read: People returning to the UAE from these countries must self-isolate for 14 days

However, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the DHA has decided to extend this initiative to offer free consultations to all residents regarding Covid-19.

Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of the Primary Healthcare Sector at the DHA said that they would use telemedicine including the use of apps, calls, and video calls to provide the public with consultation from certified DHA physicians.

Dr Taryam added that the Doctor for Every Citizen initiative will cover initial consultation and follow-ups where the physician uses a telehealth platform to communicate with the person while viewing his medical record.

The physician will also be able to request lab and radiology tests as well as issue electronic prescriptions.

Dr Taryam said that the free online home consultation service will especially benefit those who are self-quarantined at home as they will be able to avail of advice without leaving their homes.

Read: UAE confirms 15 more coronavirus cases; total count at 74

On Tuesday, the UAE reported 15 new cases of the coronavirus Covid-19 in the country. The new cases included people who were in contact with previously detected cases as well as others who had entered the UAE from foreign destinations.

Also on Tuesday, the UAE Ministry of Health issued guidelines stating that those returning to the UAE from ‘countries of concern’ or from one of the top ten countries reporting local transmission of Covid-19 will be subject to home isolation for 14 days.

The ‘countries of concern’ include China, Hong Kong, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Singapore and France. It added that the list can quickly change depending on the situation.

Furthermore, all school students and staff across the country, a mandatory period of self-isolation for 14 days must be observed after returning to the UAE, irrespective of the country to which they have travelled.

To avail of the Doctor for Every Citizen services to obtain free consultations on coronavirus, Dubai residents must undertake the following steps:
— Dubai residents need to download the DHA mobile app and sign up.
— To book an appointment, they can contact ‘Doctor for Every Citizen’ centre by calling the DHA toll-free hotline 800 342.
— Doctors and patients may opt for videoconference or voice calls for the consultation.