Singapore-based company SmartRx Pte. Ltd has teamed up with healthcare group Minmed to launch the nation’s first Telemedicine Clinic at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The clinic offers round-the-clock tele-consultation services with Minmed doctors, along with prescription drug dispensing services. The innovative clinic comprises two sections, including a private consultation pod equipped with vital signs monitoring capabilities, and a drug dispensing machine. The machine dispenses medication after patients enter a unique six-digit security code provided through the Minmed Connect app. Patients of the Telemedicine Clinic can complete their visits up to five times faster compared to traditional physical clinics, saving an estimated two hours.

The Telemedicine Clinic is open to the public, and nearby residents will benefit from having a new clinic, available 24/7, in the proximity of their homes. The initiative aligns with Singapore’s Healthier SG goal of decentralising care from hospitals to homes, allowing people to take more ownership of their health.

Dr Eric Chiam, CEO of Minmed Group, said that the remote monitoring tools and the vending machine allowed for consultation, assessment, and dispensing to occur in one neat episode. He added that this opens the way for the company to serve remote and nearshore locations with more optimal use of resources. Meanwhile, Mr Tong Ping Heng, Managing Director at SmartRx, said that the collaboration fell in line with Minmed’s desire to better serve their patients at SUTD with on-demand healthcare. He added that the Telemedicine Clinic fits everyone’s mission, and will be the first of many.