Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) is truly commendable with regards to its novel initiatives to address the current global health crisis.
One of its latest initiatives is the Ehteraz app; an app the government requires all citizens and residents to download and turn on every time they go outside of their homes and visit malls, grocery stores and other public places.
Disclaimer: The information posted here is based on the personal experiences shared by the OFW in the video below. Please let this post serve as a guide only. If you have specific questions, you may ask the OFW by commenting on their videos on their accounts.
Why the Ehteraz App is Awesome
So how does the Ehteraz app work? This article summarizes the information shared to us by an OFW YouTuber through her YouTube channel Smilezee collection. You can learn more about the Ehteraz app by checking out this video:
What is the Ehteraz App
The Ehteraz app is a mobile app for both Android and iOS. The government of Qatar requires its citizens to download this app. The word “ehteraz” means precaution.
Smilezee collection shares the following advantages of having this app in our smart phones:
- Helps authorities track where the positive, quarantined or the suspected cases are.
- Helps you stay safe.
- Makes contact tracing by the government easier.
- Prevents further spreading of the disease.
Suppose you are shopping at a nearby mall. Before being allowed to enter, the authorities will ask you if you have the Ehteraz app. The app will prompt you to turn on your Bluetooth and location for it to work.
Now, if someone who is positive comes within a meter or two near you, you will be notified by the app.
You will then receive a message from the Ministry of a notification from the app requesting you to go to the nearest health center to get checked.
Why the Bluetooth Needs to be Turned on
The Ehteraz app is an intercommunicating app.
That means that it communicates with other phones that has the Ehteraz installed in them.
For two phones to communicate, this Bluetooth short medium communication is used.
Advice in Using the App
When Smilezee collection first heard of this new app, she was impressed with its potential to help thwart the disease. Based on experience, the OFW YouTuber also mentioned that the app may not work in older smartphone models.
Also, she went to the hypermarket and the authorities asked her to show her Ehteraz app.
Her friends have already tried the app and even one time received a notification from the app that a person positive of the disease is nearby.
Aside from malls, banks have also started checking the Ehteraz app before customers are allowed to come in.
What’s Inside the App
Once you have the app installed and your important details filled-in, you’re now ready to use the app.
It shows a very simple interface, including a health code, a QR code, which is colored depending on your health status:
- Green code is healthy
- Yellow code is quarantined
- Grey code is suspected
- Red code is confirmed
How to activate Ehteraz App
To activate the app, you need to perform the following steps:
- Enter your phone number, QID number, QID expiry date
- Enable the Bluetooth and location services
- Click on Get Verification PIN
- Enter the OTP that you receive by SMS
There you have it. The MOPH is back at it again with innovative solutions to this looming crisis. The world should take notes and follow suit.
To learn more about this app and other useful information, visit Smilezee collection’s YouTube channel.