UAE mobile operator du has partnered with service provider Mobile Doctors to launch a physician helpline that provides access for its subscribers to medical professionals 24 hours per day. The launch of the service follows a trial of the helpline by Mobile Doctors earlier this year. The trial involved 40,000 selected du customers who accessed the service free of charge for 60 days. Data gathered by the service provider showed that during the trial the majority (52 percent) of participants were in the 20-39 year old demographic. The mobile operator says this group includes dual-income families and busy executives who are more likely than others to benefit from such a service. Another finding was that a quarter of patients (26 percent) were less than 12 years of age. The operator say the service can cost less than AED 1 (US 27 cents) per day depending on the subscription taken by a user. 

The competitior to du in the UAE's mobile market is Etisalat. There are just two operators in the market. Etisalat is also active in mobile health services.

Access to the helpline can be taken as a six-month subscription for both an individual or a whole family. Initially du is offering the service for AED 29 as a 24-hour trial. This offer includes unlimited duration calls and is supplemented by personalised follow-up calls from Mobile Doctors if necessary. Potential subscribers can sign up by sending an SMS to a short code. Mobile operator du says the helpline is staffed by certified physicians who are licensed by the DHCC or Dubai Healthcare City, the initiative in the emirate that includes hospitals and health centres. The staff have wide experience and work in shifts around the clock, says du.