Coronavirus Information from Vodafone

Two important novel features have been added to the LifeSaver application operated by the Vodafone Foundation and the National Ambulance Service (OMSZ) in Hungary. One of these is the Coronavirus Information button, which takes users to the Hungarian Government’s official coronavirus information site, making it directly accessible from the LifeSaver application. The other useful innovation is that the application can now send the most up-to-date, essential information to its users in push messages or notifications.

“At Vodafone Hungary, we are working to support Hungary in the extremely difficult situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, in every way we can. In such times, being well-informed is of paramount importance, so we wanted to help with this both the authorities and the public. Thus, we encourage people to download the LifeSaver app both for themselves and their loved ones, if they haven’t already done so," according to Dr. Gergő J. Budai, Director of External Affairs at Vodafone Hungary.

Push messages are messages that pop up on the screens of smartphones and come from other applications, in this case from the LifeSaver app. Their advantage is that the user receives these important messages even when the application is not open on their phone or they are not using their handset. The National Ambulance Service recommends that everyone should authorise these notifications, as this allows the app to send important messages and warnings to users.

“The primary purpose of the LifeSaver app is to make it easier to call for help, allowing ambulance crews to get abundant information fast. The upgrade adds new features to the app that can also indirectly support the saving of lives,” Dr. Gábor Csató, Director General of the National Ambulance Service emphasized.

The LifeSaver application was launched in January 2020 in co-operation between the Vodafone Hungary Foundation and the National Ambulance Service. The primary purpose of the application is to allow people to call for help faster and more efficiently. In the application, the user can upload health information in advance, which is instantly displayed on the monitor of control room staff when the emergency call is made. And its super-accurate positioning system helps emergency crews find the person in trouble fast, even if they cannot provide an exact address.

In the two months since its launch, the app has been downloaded by more than 450 000 people and initiated close to 2,500 emergency calls, of which 680 were cases requiring actual medical care.