Few weeks after launching its revolutionary CSR Initiative ‘Touching Lives’, Airtel has gone a step further by bringing health care information to Nigerians with the launch of two ground-breaking products, Mobile Midwife and Dial-A-Doctor.

The new offerins, according to the leading telco, is aimed at bringing health care information closer to Nigerians for better living. It said that the Dial-A-Doctor and Mobile Midwife products are designed to create an interaction between Nigerians and over 40 health care professionals.

Speaking at the launch held Thursday at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, South-West, Nigeria, Maurice Newa, Chief Commercial Officer of Airtel Nigeria, said the products are among of the several ways at which Airtel improve the lives of Nigerians.

Newa said: “At Airtel we are more concern about Nigerians that is why in the past we launched ‘Touching Lives’ and now these. We will go ahead to launch many more products to change the lives of Nigerians.”

Newa noted that the services are not designed to keep people away from the hospital services but to make health care information and education available to Nigerians.

While allaying the fears of wrong prescription that may be given especially when the doctors do not have the medical record of the callers, the organisers said that the services are not designed to prescribe any particular drugs over the phone but to provide an avenue where one can speak on one’s unique situation.

It equally noted that every caller’s voice would be stored for about six months as prescribed by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) so that anytime the caller calls within the period its record can be assessed.

The Mobile Midwife the organisers observed will provide health information for expectant mothers through sms. The information allows them to prepare for the delivery of their baby and also nutritional information for healthy living.

David Hutchful, Director, Technology Innovation, Grameen Foundation, one of the partners of Dial-A-Doctor programme said the services will not be restricted to the elites but the generality of Nigerians.

“The services will be available in various local languages to give room for all to benefit irrespective of their status in the society,” he said.

To benefit from the services, participants are to dial 67777 on an airtel line for the dial-a-doctor while those in need of the mobile Midwife services are to dial 1561.

•Photo shows Maurice Newa CCO, Airtel Nigeria (2^nd left) and David Hutchfull, Director, technology innovative, Grameen Foundation (extreme right).

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