RIYADH, 4 September — A new audiotext facility has been launched at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center that enables patients to get the latest information on diseases on phone.
Patients could also arrange appointments with doctors and even record questions on phone for receiving answers in due course. The new service from Saudi Call would be available from mid-September for KFSH patients to begin with, Dr. Abdullah Al-Amro, a senior executive at the hospital, announced yesterday.
He said the launch of the service follows an agreement between KFSH and Saudi Call. Saudi Telecom Company will be the carrier of the new facility, which could also be used for sending or receiving audio messages on phone. Other applications include counseling, educational information or any public information service. It said the audiotext facility for patients would later be extended to other hospitals.
Dr. Al-Amro said that the facility would help them reduce appointment delays for patients by 20 percent. There will also be a reminder service for patients telling them when it is time to take their medicines. One of the important applications of this service, according to him, is that it will have recorded information on heart diseases and the ways of managing cardiovascular and other diseases prevalent in the Kingdom. Thus, instead of consulting a medical specialist in person, they could get such information on phone as a recorded message on ringing an appropriate number.
Saudi Call said the service would be a boon for pilgrims, who could get information on the Kingdom’s vaccination program and other formalities that need to be complied with before coming for Haj. Travelers from outside the Kingdom could also activate the service for getting useful tips in terms of visa and other requirements. The company said there is a nominal subscription charge for making use of its medical library service on line.
Medical consultation and question-answer facilities have also been introduced. It would also be possible to find organ donors for those in need of organ transplant. “We will conduct seminars and workshops as well as lectures by phone in an interactive environment,” Saudi Call added.
