Call centre launched for Bangladeshi expats in Saudi Arabia

A call centre for emergency health advice for 2.2 million Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia was launched on Wednesday amid the global coronavirus outbreak, reports UNB.

Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia, the ministry of foreign affairs, the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry, and the department of ICT jointly inaugurated the call centre.

Expatriate Bangladeshi physicians will provide necessary health advice through the 'Probas Bandhu Call Centre' during the COVID-19 crisis, said a press release of ICT division.

An advice seeker has to call +8809611999111 or Imo numbers- 01400611995, 01400611996, 01400611997, 01400611998, 01958105020 and their call will be diverted to the Bangladeshi physicians staying in Saudi Arabia.

Sixty-seven physicians will be available from 9:00am to 9:00pm (local time) every day.

Another batch of 250 physicians also expressed interest to register for providing the service.

Further details will be available atcorona.gov.bd.

On Thursday, a Bangladeshi man died at a Saudi hospital of coronavirus.

Saudi Arabia is the most popular destination for Bangladeshi workers.

Between 1976 and February this year, 4144,972 Bangladeshis (31.81 per cent of the total workers) went to the Kingdom.

Last year, 399,000 Bangladeshis went to Saudi Arabia for work, according to BMET.

Bangladeshis remitted $18.355 billion last year and of the amount, $3.65 billion came from the kingdom alone.