PHCC announces non-essential services to be conducted via virtual consultations

  • 4 years   ago
The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has announced that, every non-essential services can only be conducted now via virtual consultations through both telephone and video. 
Dr Samya Ahmad Al Abdulla, Executive Director of Operations, of PHCC said that, “Given the current rise in COVID-19 cases, the changes have been put into effect as a precautionary measure to keep the community safe, by minimizing exposure for both patients and healthcare workers as we have a high volume of vaccination groups visiting the health centers. To limit the number of patients visiting health centers, PHCC teams will call patients to reschedule any existing appointments non-essential services by converting them to virtual consultations.”
PHCC health centers will continue to operate with its walk-in and urgent care patients including family medicine, dental and specialty services, as assessed by a physician.  Essential services will still be offered, but at a a very limited and restricted capacity, and is advised not to visit the health centres unless an urgent care is required.  
 
Face-to-face consultations are now only available for the following services:
 
•    Urgent-care patients 
 
•    Walk-in patients 
 
•    All suspected Covid-19 and close contact cases (walk-in or referred)
 
•    Well Baby and vaccinations
 
•    Antenatal (but only on referral after a virtual consultation by a physician)
 
•    Essential X-ray and ultrasound scan (USS) urgent cases only 
 
•    COVID-19 vaccinations
 
•    Drive-thru COVID-19 swabbing 
 
•    Day 6 swab (either reactive or post travel)
 
•    Home health care 
 
•    Pre-marital services on request 
 
•    Medical Commission
 
•    School registration  
 
 
PHCC has successfully launched the virtual consultations during the lockdown period when Covid-19 made a surge in its cases in 2020 by using the latest community call centre technology. 
“The virtual consultations proved to be an invaluable service for patients during the pandemic, reducing the need for face-to-face visits, yet still providing the individual attention, with a personal touch. It has proved to be an advanced and clinically sustainable model, changing the way PHCC delivers patient care,” added Dr. Samya Ahmad Al Abdulla 
Patients can now be availed am urgent medical consultations with a physician through telephone or video conference by calling the hotline number 16000, and select the PHCC option, by selecting and choosing option two. If the physician then determines that a patient is in need of a physical examination, the patient is then referred to PHCC’s walk-in service at the nearest health centre or Hamad Medical Corporation, as required. 
PHCC urgent care services are now accessible at eight health centers 24 hours a day. They are Muaither, Rawdat Al Khail, Al Gharafa, Al Kaaban, Al Shahaniyah, Al Ruwais, Umm Slal and Abu Baker Al Siddiq health centers respectively.
All PHCC health centers ensures that precautionary measures are put in place to curb the rapid spread of Covid-19. On arrival at a health center, all patients are required to wear a face mask, show their green status on Ehteraz application and undergo body temperature checks.  Stringent safety measures including smart scheduling of appointments, the use of personal protective equipment, physical distancing within the centers, regular virus testing for staff, and rigorous hygiene and disinfection protocols have all been carried out to restrict the further spread of this deadly disease.

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