Call 118! Switzerland helped to establish call centres in Kyrgyzstan to combat COVID-19

Local news, 12.05.2020

Seven call centres are being launched at Family Medicine Centres in all oblasts of Kyrgyzstan, starting from May 11 to provide remote, timely and qualified medical consultation on prevention of COVID-19 to the population of the country.

Call centres operate through the single information number - 118. Each call centre has 4 operators: 2 nurses and 2 trained residents, who work 12 hours per day: from 8:00 to 20:00.

Daily work of call centres © Swiss project "Medical Education Reform in the Kyrgyz Republic", 2020

Call centres have been launched in Chui and Naryn oblast. Within a week five other call centres will be opened in the other regions to operate throughout the country.

The main goal of the call centers is to reduce hospitalization related to COVID-19 by providing timely and qualified medical consultations to the population. Providing the population with accurate and comprehensive information about the coronavirus and symptom-based remote counselling are essential to reduce the number of visits to health facilities.

When receiving calls from people complaining about symptoms similar to coronavirus, the operators will make a rapid clinical assessment of the patient's condition according to the algorithm and transfer the information to the mobile teams. The mobile teams will then assess the epidemiological situation on site, perform COVID-19 test and hospitalize patients if necessary.

This work is carried out within the Swiss project "Medical Education Reform in the Kyrgyz Republic", which is aimed to ensure quality medical care to the Kyrgyz population provided by well-trained medical personnel. The Government of Switzerland has been financing the heath project since 2013.  

Local news, 14.07.2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan, the Swiss project “Strengthening Voice and Accountability” has allocated more than 6 million soms to 30 local self-governments of Naryn, Chui and Osh oblasts to help around 5000 families in need.

Delivery of humanitarian aid © Swiss project “Strengthening Voice and Accountability”, 2020

This project is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Development Policy Institute.

The humanitarian aid has been provided in the form of food packages: flour, pasta, granulated sugar, buckwheat, condensed milk, tea, vegetable oil. Each family in need has received this food package worth about 1,200 soms. The list of vulnerable people mainly included low-income families with children with disabilities.

All products have been locally purchased through an open competition. To ensure transparency and accountability local commissions were created, which included representatives of aiyl okmotu and mayor offices, deputies of aiyl kenesh, members of joint monitoring and evaluation groups and active representatives of local communities.

The commissions have participated in receipt and distribution of assistance to persons in need of humanitarian aid according to the list taking into account previously received assistance from other sources.

In addition, the Swiss project has provided antiseptics for visitors and staff of aiyl okmotu and mayor offices.