Dubai Police deliver telemedicine service to thousands of residents

Patients in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman benefited from the initiative

Dubai Police launched anti-begging campaign before the start of Ramadan under the slogan "begging is misunderstood for compassion”. Pawan Singh / The National

Thousands of residents have used a telemedicine service launched by the Dubai Police Health Centre to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Through the initiative, the health centre delivered services to more than 8,885 patients and offered free medicine delivery to 2,162 patients in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.

Dubai Police's courier partner Emirates Post made another 1,412 deliveries.

The initiative offers services and medical consultations by phone or video calls with patients who have made an appointment through its 901 call centre. This helps avoid in-person visits to medical facilities and prevents crowding.

Consultant Lt Col Dr Badr bin Qaba, head of Dubai Police Health Centre, said the initiative has helped ensure social distancing is in place.

"The telemedicine service initiative is in line with the objective of Dubai Police and the country to combat and curb the spread of the coronavirus," he said.

"Patients visit the centre only if their health conditions require conducting some medical tests.”

The vaccination centre in Dubai's Barsha Hall - in pictures 

People wait to get vaccinated at Barsha Hall in Barsha, a suburb of Dubai.

Irum Fatima Tapal gets vaccinated against Covid-19 at Barsha Hall in Dubai

Lateef Painat receives the Pfizer BioNTech shot

It was a busy first week at Barsha Hall, where 4,000 people can be vaccinated in a day

Barsha Hall has 20 check-in counters, 50 vaccination booths and five observation rooms

About 80 healthcare staff work at the site

Lateef Painat, a Dubai resident, gets ready to be vaccinated at the newly opened Barsha Hall