As part of efforts to bolster its telemedicine
services, healthcare
group SingHealth will be setting
up a centralised telehealth hub at
Eunos Polyclinic.
It will bring together clinical and
administrative staff involved in telehealth
under one roof, and be
equipped with soundproof pods
for consultations.
This was announced by Health
Minister Ong Ye Kung during the
opening of the new Tampines
North Polyclinic on Friday.
“It will be a more conducive facility
for telehealth, and will be able
to reap efficiencies of scale,” he
said of the hub. It is not known
when it will become operational.
Leveraging telemedicine will
help meet the rising demand for
healthcare, Mr Ong said, noting
that video consultations are suitable
for a range of primary care cases
as well as follow-up consultations
for those with chronic conditions.
Friday’s announcement comes
after SingHealth Polyclinics began
trialling its Acute-On-Demand TeleHealth
service at Eunos Polyclinic
in January.
The service, which is available to
all patients, is meant for those who
want to consult doctors for general
medical conditions like acute respiratory
illness or gastroenteritis.
Plans are under way to bring other
video consultation services,
such as physiotherapy, to Tampines
North Polyclinic.
These include the Primary Tech-
Enhanced Care home blood pressure
monitoring programme,
which allows patients with high
blood pressure to better manage
their condition using technology
and teleconsultations.
SingHealth Polyclinics chief executive
David Ng said that as at
April 2023, it has conducted more
than 36,000 video-consultations.
“As we expand our (video-consultation)
services and tap technology
to empower our patients in
self-monitoring of their blood
pressure and blood glucose level,
we will increase our efforts to enable
those who are less digitally
savvy, or unable to afford telemedicine
services, through community
partnerships,” he added.
He noted that the TeleHealth
Service for Seniors, available at the
Bedok and Marine Parade polyclinics,
will be expanded to the rest
of the group’s polyclinics, benefiting
more elderly patients.
Tampines North Polyclinic is
Singapore’s 24th polyclinic and the
10th under SingHealth.
It is expected to see about 500
patients a day initially, a number
that is expected to grow to about
700 patients a day, said Tampines
North Polyclinic clinic director Sabrina
Wee.
It incorporates eco-friendly features
such as solar panels and
high-efficiency air-conditioning chillers, as well as pandemic preparedness
measures like shutters
that can effectively split the building
into two.
Mr Ong said the healthcare system
continues to manage high patient
loads even after the end of the
pandemic.
“As a result, residents are finding
that queues and waiting times are
longer, and it is harder to make appointments,”
he noted.
Singapore has to expand its primary
care capacity, which was delayed
during the pandemic, the
minister said.
Sembawang Polyclinic will open
in November, while Khatib Polyclinic
and the redeveloped Pasir
Ris Polyclinic will open in 2024.
“From 2025 to 2030, more polyclinics
will come into operation, in
Bidadari, Bishan, Kaki Bukit, Serangoon,
Taman Jurong and Tengah,”
said Mr Ong.
This means the Republic will hit
its target of 32 polyclinics by 2030,
he added.
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