Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is taking patients over the phone to help ease the strain on medical professionals in his country.

Before becoming a politician, the RTE says Varadkar worked as a general practitioner for seven years.

Now, with the current pandemic, Varadkar is re-registering as a medical practitioner to help where he can.

The RTE says once a week Varadkar will be taking patients over the phone. 

A spokesperson from the Prime Minister's Office tells RTE that the politician will be helping in areas within his expertise as a doctor.

"Many of his family and friends are working in the health service. He wanted to help out even in a small way," the spokesperson says.

Varadkar comes from a medical family. He is the son of a doctor and a nurse.

The re-registration comes after Ireland put out a campaign called "Be on call for Ireland" asking residents to re-register to help during the pandemic.

Varadkar also took time out of his already busy schedule to thank faith leaders in Ireland for their efforts to share comfort during the pandemic.