Under my leadership, we introduced in 2009 Mobile Phone Health Service in 482 public hospitals in Bangladesh, comprised of each district and each sub-district hospital. Citizens could take health suggestions for free from doctors working in government health centers. For this a mobile phone was given to each district and sub-district hospital of Bangladesh. The numbers of these mobile phones were publicized locally.
These numbers were also given in the website of Directorate General of Health Services (www.dghs.gov.bd). Doctors received calls in these numbers 24 hours. Local people could receive free health suggestions by calling these numbers without need for coming to hospitals in person. Busy persons could also take medical help at the beginning of any disease. The risk of complication of diseases was lessened this way.
This service created opportunity to get medical advice by rich or poor people living particularly in rural areas. Medical advice was instantly available no matter whether it was late night, an acute health problem or long distance from hospital. For conditions where patients did not need to come to hospital, they could do so by taking advice through mobile phone. There was no need of coming to sub-district or district hospitals for those treatments which were possible from village community clinics. The service helped the citizens avoid informal healers that might lead them to complications of diseases.
Many people come to outpatient departments of the government hospitals. It often becomes difficult to provide service with limited manpower and medicine. Through this mobile-based health service, a lot of people were able to take health service from their residence. The pressure over the hospitals were lessened this way. Then, with limited manpower and resource it was possible to provide better treatment to the patients coming there. Thus, satisfaction of the patients increased.