Ibrahim Health Line
TeamHealth Medical Call Center, a successful health call center operating from Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America (U.S.A), has trained nurses manning their call centers. Similarly, the NHS call centers that are outsourced from India have trained nurses that attend the calls of patients. Organizations such as Telenor are also operating medical call centers at extremely high costs to provide people access to a doctor 24hours, 7 days a week.
The Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS), unlike other organizations from across the globe, has the distinct opportunity to properly implement and operate a medical call center. Since its inception in 1956, BADAS has grown into a country-wide network of hospitals and medical centers in Bangladesh. Other than the government, no other medical organization in the globe has the medical facilities that BADAS currently obtains. This provides BADAS with the advantage to implement and operate an effective medical call-center through which people can get speak straight to a doctor 24 hours, 7 days a week, from their mobiles or phones.
History of BADAS & Medical Call Center
BADAS first attempted to operate a medical call center during the Health Micro Insurance (HMI) project. The HMI project was launched in 2013 to provide comprehensive medical care to garments workers in exchange for a minimalistic monthly premium. BADAS partnered with Swiss Tropical Institute, United Insurance and TRCL to provide comprehensive medical care to the 11,000 garment employees of New Asia Group.
A medical call center was setup in partnership with TRCL, to act as a gateway. The garment workers were required to call the medical call center to obtain primary medical advice and referrals for secondary and tertiary medical services. Doctors were employed to operate the call center and attend to calls 24 hours, 7 days a week. The medical call center was not financially viable during the HMI Project because it only catered to the HMI members. It was not cost-effective to employ doctors and management staff specifically to operate the call center 24 hours for only the HMI members.
In May 2016, BADAS ceremoniously re-launched the medical call center initiative in the form of Ibrahim Healthline with an eleven-digit number 09610505055. CTHealth Ltd. became the technology partner for the re-shaped Ibrahim Healthline. CTHealth Ltd. re-deigned the call center software application to include an electronic health record system. Previously the call center software was open for all but the newly revamped version only allows access to registered members/patients only. The architecture of the revamped version would permit call center booth setup in multiple locations.
The re-launch ceremony was attended by the then Honourable Cultural Minster. The medical call center services was launched for patients of BADAS. National Healthcare Network (NHN), the largest enterprise of BADAS, was chosen to re-shape the call center initiative. The premises of NHN IGH Mirpur Head Office was selected for the installation of the call center booths.
The in-patient department doctors of NHN IGH Mirpur would actively receive incoming calls from patients. A patient was provided membership to Ibrahim Healthline for a minimalistic fee of Tk.125 per year. Patients were registered through 14 centers of NHN situated across Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The setup of the call center was reviewed and altered. In this particular model, doctors were not employed separately for the call center. The in-patient department doctors of NHN IGH Mirpur were rostered so that each doctor would provide 3 hours per day to the call center booth as part of their active work hours inside the hospital. This made the operation of the call center cost-effective. Doctors were remunerated according to the allocated hours for the call center.
On 25th September 2018 Ibrahim Healthline launched its 5-digit number, 10614, and the ceremony was graced by the Honourable State Minister of ICT.
Benefits/Services for Registered Patients
Registered members of Ibrahim Healthline will be able the following services:
- Medical Advice over mobile/landline with a qualified doctor
- Referrals to a medical facility under Bangladesh Diabetic Somity (BADAS) via mobile/landline
- Request Lab Technician to visit member’s home to collect samples (blood, urine, cough etc.)
- Prescriptions and Investigations through SMS
- Order home delivery of prescribed medicines
- Speak to Health Educationist regarding Lifestyle Management, Dietary Habits, and Counseling.
Upcoming Scopes:
- Admissions to Hospital Facility
- Ambulance Booking
- Integrating Wireless Devices with Ibrahim Healthline
- Providing Wireless Devices to Patients for better patient management e.g. ihealth glucometer, wireless blood pressure monitor etc.
- Integrating in-hospital facilities with Ibrahim Healthline to provide one-stop solution
- Tailoring patient health management to suit individual patient needs
- Tailoring health education messages to suit individual patient health awareness
- Preconception Care through Religious Leaders (Kazis) may be delivered through the call center facility.
- Diabetes Prevention through Religious Leaders (Imams) may also be delivered through the call center facility.
To Know about detailed information, Please visit www.ihealthline.com.bd