Proportion of Polyclinic Consultations Conducted via Telehealth Services

13 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) for each of the years 2024 and 2025, what proportion of total polyclinic consultations were conducted via telehealth services; (b) whether the uptake of telehealth services by patients will be encouraged and if so, how; and (c) whether patient satisfaction in telehealth services are being tracked and assessed, and if so, how.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Polyclinics handle over 600,000 attendances a month. Telehealth services accounted for about 2% of such attendances in both 2024 and 2025.

The volume is modest, partly because we use telehealth when it can be delivered appropriately and safely. For example, it is suitable for reviewing of test results, monitoring patient recovery and follow-up of chronic conditions, but we should not do away with the initial in-person consultation.

There are ongoing efforts by the polyclinic clusters to expand the use of telehealth where appropriate and to provide support for patients facing difficulties in navigating technology, including working with community partners.

While patients' satisfaction for telehealth services is currently not specifically tracked by the Ministry of Health, the polyclinics do gather feedback from their patients to contribute towards service improvement initiatives.