National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM), Thailand joined forces with TOT —state-owned telco— to launch emergency call centre for elderly citizens and people with hearing and speech impairments optimising consolidated medical records, national data on elderly and persons with disabilities, and satellite location-based data.

The “TOT Help Call Centre 1669” project aimed to provide emergency medical aid to elderly and people with hearing and speech impairments as they require special phone service.

An MOU was signed by the NIEM, the TOT, Universal Foundation of Person with Disabilities, and National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) on June 19.

The project is a part of an effort to provide access to basic telecommunication infrastructure such as telephone for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

“This collaboration will answer the needs for medical service of our senior citizens and citizens with hearing and speech impairments, as well as to allow the NIEM to provide equal opportunity for people to access medical emergency service,” said Dr Anuchar Sethasathien, NIEM Secretary General.

The database of persons with hearing and speech impairments will be created and shared with the ‘TOT Help Call Centre 1669” across the country as part of providing service over the phone. The data includes medical records, contact number, home address and location data, and other information pre-registered with the foundation by each person.

The service will be piloted across seven provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong, Khonkaen, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Udon Thani, Kalasin, and Ubon Ratchathani, before being launched nationwide.

The call charge will be free for TOT fixed line customers during the initial stage of the project. Later, customers who are interested will be charged at THB 30 (US$1) per month. TOT customers who have senior members or family members with hearing and speech impairments at home are encouraged to register for this service.

Data from the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University shows that Thailand has nearly 16-million senior citizens aged over 60 years old. Of the 1.4 million persons with disabilities registered at the National Office for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, there are up to 221,199 people with hearing and speech impairments.