Iran launches telemedicine call center to expedite coronavirus fight

Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran

Call 4030 if you think you have contracted the coronavirus. This telemedicine call center in Tehran answers all questions regarding the coronavirus only by dialing 4030 in Iran.

Some 2,000 personnel work 24/7 to answer calls from across the country about the virus. And this is done round the clock, since phones keep ringing nonstop.

Officials say since the launching of the call center, the number of visits to healthcare centers has reduced by 80 percent, as many people with mild symptoms prefer to stay home and get phone consultation.

One of the important initiatives 4030 has taken is to act as a network that connects aid seekers and relief providers. As part of its program, it collects protective supplies from charities and distributes them in less privileged areas.

Iran is among the worst hit countries by the coronavirus. Aid institutes say now that any vaccine for the new virus is yet to be made, fighting the outbreak entails a collective participation by all entities that can offer any help.

The coronavirus has pushed people into social distancing and staying away from each other, but aid workers here say the virus has brought peoples' hearts closer. They say sooner or later, these hard days will be gone, and benevolence and humanitarianism are what remain to be remembered.

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