"The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic underscored the need for many countries to develop more
effective and accessible primary health care systems, as well as more efficient ways to quickly disperse and collect health information. Governments throughout the world—regardless of economic status—identified the need for robust digital health care solutions as an important element in attaining these goals.
Telemedicine or health hotline services have shown for more than 60 years that they can help people to receive accurate and timely health information and make informed decisions about when to seek treatment. These services offer the ability to provide health information and care remotely, thereby extending the reach of the health care system, improving efficiencies, and enhancing the quality of care.
Despite telemedicine’s well-established benefits, few nationally scaled telemedicine or health hotline services exist—and even fewer are government owned. Health services that are stewarded by governments and embe
