MOGADISHU, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A newly launched emergency call center is boosting health response in the fight against COVID-19 in Somalia, the UN said on Thursday.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-backed center is receiving more than 8,000 daily calls from those who feel sick or need advice on COVID-19 in Somalia.
"These services are critical in a country where health education is limited and there are widely held misunderstandings about the virus, including how it spreads and how it can be treated," the UNDP said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
Those who seek advice on COVID-19 have to call 449 -- the government's toll-free hotline set up to offer fast, effective access to emergency health support.
According to UNDP, the emergency number is open 24 hours a day and run by young volunteers from different backgrounds, including health workers and students from local medical colleges.
It said some callers are given advice, while those with symptoms of the disease are taken to designated hospitals by an ambulance service.
"We only refer to the hospital for the critically ill and those with underlying health conditions such as blood pressure, asthma or diabetes," said Deka Adan, a doctor who works at the center.
"We ask others to stay home because our healthcare system is weak and we want to avoid overloading the hospitals," Adan added.
The Horn of African nation has so far confirmed 2,878 COVID-19 cases, 868 recoveries and 90 fatalities as on Thursday, and the cases are largely community transmissions.
Liban Abdi, a volunteer said the doctors who work at the helpline are divided into three teams so that callers can quickly get the most suitable response.
Abdi said the first team provides general information on the virus and how to keep safe while the second team deals with less serious cases and advises callers to visit the hospital if necessary.
According to Abdi, the third team deals with critical cases, providing advice and arranging ambulances to De Martini Hospital, which has been central to testing, case detection and critical care support in Somalia.
UNDP has supported the center with office equipment, staffing, transport for volunteers and communications as part of a wider COVID-19 response. Enditem
