More than 54,000 residents sent messages to seek help and raise queries on the Dubai Health Authority (DHA)’s COVID-19 WhatsApp hotline between April 2020 to September 2020, as per the data released by the authorities on Wednesday. The automated chatbot application is a free, 24/7 service, developed by the authorities to raise awareness among the public and solve their queries about COVID-19 by providing accurate information and other DHA services. The initiative was launched in April in line with the efforts of the DHA to support the needs of the community members by providing a 24/7 communication channel in multiple languages from where they can attain all COVID-19 related information.

Majority of questions related to Coronavirus test

As the pandemic outbreak began in the country, it became essential for the authorities to create awareness about the necessary precautionary and preventive measures related to COVID-19. With the launch of the DHA COVID-19 hotline service in April, users are being provided accurate and official information and advice related to health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Most frequently asked questions on the WhatsApp service during the period remained: “Am I eligible for a Coronavirus test" and "What is the procedure to get the test?” These questions were followed by “Can I get a Coronavirus medical certificate?” along with “I suspect that there is a sick person with Coronavirus, what do I do?”

Fake news debunked

Speaking over the development, Fatma Al Khaja, Director of the Customer Happiness Department at DHA, asserted that the DHA hotline service has been very helpful and beneficial for the users as it has been debunking any rumours or fake news related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the service, the public is provided with all accurate and necessary information to ensure preventive and precautionary measures to protect themselves from COVID-19. Al Khaja added that the service provides an opportunity to the users through which they are able to learn more about the virus threats, check UAE statistics and find out if they are eligible for a Coronavirus test

“We wanted a system that would respond to patients’ queries timeously and to give people a credible channel to receive accurate information," he said.

Six million people medically empowered

Through the ongoing partnership with Facebook, DHA was able to drive as many as people as possible to government websites where they were able to acquire more data and information related to the pandemic in Dubai. Significantly, DHA ads on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram reached over six million unique users and were viewed more than 36 million times between the months of April and September 2020.

RamezShehadi, Managing Director for Facebook MENA, stated that Facebook has been supporting the initiatives of the global public health community to keep people informed and safe amid the Coronavirus health crisis.

“By partnering with DHA on the WhatsApp service, we are empowering people to access accurate information at the touch of a button, supporting those who are in need of services and making it easier for people to get tested," RamezShehadi added.

AI-powered hotline

Facebook has also enabled the Coronavirus Information Centre to appear on top of the News Feed, providing a central place for social media users to receive all latest news and information about the pandemic. The Coronavirus Information Centre reaches to more than two billion people across the world, disseminating expert information and advice from healthcare resources, such as medical authorities and educational pop-ups, enabling people to learn more about the virus. Since the feature has been launched, more than 350 million people have engaged with the service via social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to learn more about the virus.

The DHA WhatsApp hotline uses AI (artificial intelligence) to boost communication with the public and provide them with easy and fast access to accurate and reliable information from official government sources. Users can access the 24/7 service by adding 800 342 to their mobile phone contacts and sending a “Hi” on WhatsApp.