Patients trying to find their way around Dubai’s hospitals and health centres will soon be given a guiding hand.
Two hundred special helpers have been recruited by Dubai Health Authority to assist at its four hospitals, 14 primary health clinics and medical fitness centres.
The customer relations assistants will be easily recognisable thanks to blue jackets bearing the slogan May I Help You.
The move is part of the At Your Service initiative.
“Customer care and excellent medical services are not isolated concepts,” said Essa Al Maidoor, director general of the authority.
“They go hand-in-hand and, in future, customers will see many such initiatives aimed at making their hospital experience pleasant.”
Wearing a blue jacket himself, Mr Al Maidoor was speaking at the inauguration of the initiative at Rashid Hospital.
Shaikha Al Rahoomi, director of customer relations at the authority, said the assistants had received thorough training, could speak in Arabic and English, and could assist visitors with queries on finance, administrative issues, insurance, location, and billing.
“On-site patient support is essential to make the hospital experience pleasant,” she said.
In the first phase of the initiative assistants will be stationed across the authority’s hospitals, with the second stage deploying them to primary healthcare centres and medical fitness centres.
Ms Al Rahoomi also said other initiatives would be introduced next year, including a customer satisfaction index which will give DHA customers Happy or Unhappy buttons to press on their way out of the facilities.
Tablet computers will also be stationed at every patient’s bed so they can access the internet and health education applications.
tsubaihi@thenational.ae
