The rollout of telemedicine is timely amid the COVID-19 global pandemic particularly for patients who may not be able to visit our physical medical facilities for certain reasons.

Dr Kelvin Loh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHH Healthcare, said, “While our hospitals, medical centres and clinics have implemented the most stringent infection control measures to protect our patients’ safety and health, we understand that many patients cannot or may choose not to visit these physical facilities in person now. Our planned integration of telemedicine into our brick-and-mortar services is therefore coming at a timely juncture as our patients can now enjoy peace of mind and access to uninterrupted quality medical care whether from their homes or at our facilities.

“The introduction of virtual consultation across the Group marks our continued efforts to transform care for our patients. We are encouraged by our progress in leveraging technology to help us deliver faster, better, easier and more cost-effective care. We will keep working hard to stay ahead of the curve to anticipate our patients’ needs, in keeping with our vision to become the world’s most trusted healthcare services network.”

The type of specialties and criteria for virtual consultation is spearheaded at the country level to better cater to the needs of each market:

Singapore:
Teleconsultation services are offered by Parkway Shenton. Through the MyHealth Connect mobile app, patients can consult a general practitioner (GP), get their eMC and referral letter as well as have their medication delivered to them in the comfort of their home or office.

Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Netherlands:
Acibadem’s Online Doctor service allows patients to receive remote examination, diagnosis and test services from their home or work place through a video call appointment with a physician. Online Doctor is available across all 21 Acibadem hospitals in Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Netherlands.

India:
Teleconsultations are offered by all five Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Continental Hospital as well as 23 Fortis hospitals, through Microsoft Teams. The service has seen strong traction among patients since it was launched March and April this year. Fortis hospitals, for example, see more than 370 patients online daily.

Hong Kong:
Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong’s virtual consultation service is open to existing oncology and gastroenterology and hepatology patients. Upon completion of the consultation, a hospital staff will contact the patient for delivery of medication. Medication counselling by a pharmacist will also be provided as necessary. The service may be extended to other specialties and to patients with chronic diseases such as those with high blood pressure, diabetes and respiratory conditions in future.