The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with partners WhatsApp and Facebook, has introduced a dedicated chat service in Arabic and English to deliver up-to-date information on the spread of COVID-19 and Bahrain’s response to the global pandemic – led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.
The chat services has been built on the WhatsApp Business API and uses Infobip’s global communication platform in order to provide timely and critical information to the population regarding the virus. For more advanced queries, the chatbot can also direct users to online resources.
A range of information is provided by the chatbot, including the latest news, a summary of cases, volunteer opportunities, and modes of payment and donations to the ‘Feena Khair’ campaign. The chatbot also provides a direct link to download the ‘BeAware’ application, shares further information from YouTube and other communication channels, and redirects users to access online COVID-19 test results.
The Ministry of Health noted that the new service will further extend the reach of the national campaign to combat COVID-19, enhance awareness, and contribute to overall preventative efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus.
The chat services are free to use and available around the clock. Users interested in using the service should send “Hi” to +973 32002001 over WhatsApp.