Answering people’s questions day and night

Meet Claudia, your friendly medical helpline assistant. She's been working for the ‘Ärztefon’ for two years now, and has witnessed the increasing worry among people about the coronavirus pandemic.

‘Ärztefon’ is canton Zürich’s medical helpline that operates 24/7. The coronavirus pandemic has meant that the number of phone calls it receives has increased massively – reaching 1,200 calls a day. Some callers want to have their symptoms assessed, while others just need to be reassured that they haven’t been exposed to the virus. 

“What I like about my job is that I can help people,” says Claudia Baur. “I’m a very communicative person, therefore I like working over the phone. I’m happy to listen and to be there for people. And I try to take everyone who calls seriously, even when they just have trivial questions.” 

The helpline is free to call and there is no charge for professional advice. After a first assessment, if necessary or requested, medical assistants put callers in contact with a doctor or specialist. The service has been operating since January 2018.