Hotline to address people’s concern on Covid-19

SALALAH:  The Directorate General of Health Services in Dhofar has set up a hotline to receive people’s concern about the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) and give them necessary health instructions in this regard. The hotline is working under the Covid-19 Operating Room, which active round the clock as a follow up office of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to maintain pace with any emergency situation. Several functionaries of the MoH are part of this Operating Room including the Emergency and Crisis Department, Medical Response and Public Health and Relief and Shelter Centre of the Governorate. The Operation Room is working in coordination with the Royal Oman Police (ROP), the armed forces, and civil and military authorities. According to the sources in the DG Health Services in Dhofar, the hotline number 99044949 is functional round the clock through which inquiries raised by the citizens and residents are answered. “We have been receiving all sorts of questions both from the citizens and residents about the Covid-19 pandemic which has spread across the globe. Most of the queries are related to symptoms of cold and cough in which the callers want to confirm whether the symptoms are that of Covid-19 or just common flu. We take time in understanding their concern and advise them according to their requirement,” said the source. The Operating Room is working like a bridge between the Ministry of Health and the common people on which people are sharing all sorts of information about the disease and soliciting support from the healthcare providers. “Generally we are advising the callers not to rush to the hospital if they have flu like symptoms. We are asking them to remain indoors as much as possible, self-quarantine and if needed we are offering them medical aid,’ said an official of the Ministry of Health. The Operation Room is keeping track on all the guidelines of the Supreme Committee which is tasked with tackling the Covid-19. The Directorate's Operation Room is in constant contact with the relevant authorities to follow up on all new developments through visual presentation. It also obtains reports and statistics from the Department of Control of Infectious Diseases and links the database to sites being used for geographical information systems. Several teams and groups have been formed identify suspected individuals and report any development to the competent medical authorities, which in turn, keep track on the cases of citizens and residents in Dhofar Governorate.