The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has launched a new mobile application ‘Nar’aakom’, offering a bunch of services and facilities.
“The app in English and Arabic provides comprehensive healthcare management on-the-go, from accessing upcoming appointments to applying for a health card online," PHCC managing director Dr Mariam Abdul Malik said.
"The app allows Qatar residents to benefit from many of PHCC's digital services from their smartphones,” she explained at a press conference on Monday.
With the launch of Nar’aakom, PHCC has made it easy for Qatar residents to access digitised services for its 27 health centres, by making healthcare services easily accessible.
“It is an extension of the digital transformation of healthcare services that PHCC rolled out early last year. With the mobile app, we empower people with the ability to access health services anywhere, anytime at their convenience in a secure platform; thus encouraging patients to take ownership of their health,” continued Dr Abdul Malik.
PHCC has also started a dedicated hotline, 4027707 to help people aged 65 and above to book, cancel or schedule pre-booked Covid-19 vaccination appointments. The dedicated line is currently available from 7am to 11pm.
During Covid-19, PHCC accelerated its digital transformation to facilitate no or minimal-contact care delivery through virtual consultations over the phone and video; a 24x7 Community Call Centre and an electronically-dispensed medication facility with home-delivery service.
The new mobile app, Nar’aakom, provides complete management of services from keeping track of the health card expiry date and online renewal, to accessing the assigned health center and finding your personal assigned family physician. The Nar’aakom app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in Qatar.
“Nar’aakom gives complete control to manage your and your family’s health service requirements. From requesting a new appointment at one of PHCC health centres, to applying for a change of your assigned health centre, or changing the assigned family physician. It also allows you to add dependents to your account, so as to manage requests for any of these services on their behalf,” said Musallam Mubarak al-Nabit, assistant managing director at PHCC.
Alexandra Tarazi, executive director of Health Information Systems, PHCC, said that the new app is a way forward to enhance and digitise the services of PHCC in a big way. “The new app for the time being offer some of the basic services. It will in the coming days be expanded with most of the services offered by PHCC including access to digital copy of the medical reports” said, Tarazi
Within a year, PHCC has managed to lead the digitalisation of healthcare services in Qatar. In October 2020, PHCC had launched their new website which provides an easy access to all primary care information online. Patients can also access e-services on the PHCC website that allows conducting ‘day-to-day’ administrative business on-line.
Dr Abdul Malik also announced that PHCC has also received two ISO certifications for its digital services; IT 20000 for its IT services and the second one is ISO 27001 for IT security.
