Image credits - CNA
MaNaDr Clinic has been ordered to suspend its outpatient telemedicine services effective August 16, 2024, following an investigation by the Ministry of Health (MOH) that revealed troubling practices regarding the quality of care provided. The suspension comes after preliminary findings indicated that numerous consultations at the clinic lasted for an unusually short duration, with some video calls as brief as one second.
MOH’s review uncovered that in a sampled month, over 100,000 teleconsultations at MaNaDr lasted one minute or less, raising significant concerns about patient care. The investigation also highlighted that after these extremely short consultations, a substantial number of medical certificates (MCs) were issued. More than 1,500 patients were found to have received MCs on five or more occasions in a single month, with some individuals receiving as many as 19 MCs.
The investigation noted discrepancies between the length of consultations and the detailed information recorded in case notes. In some cases, the case notes were either overly detailed or sparsely documented, potentially impacting the continuity and quality of patient care.
MaNaDr Clinic, operated by Mobile-health Network Solutions—a company listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange and touted for its extensive network of doctors—had promoted its telemedicine services as providing 24/7 access to healthcare professionals. However, the MOH’s findings suggest that the practice fell short of regulatory and quality standards.
This scrutiny follows recent regulatory tightening by MOH and the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) concerning the issuance of MCs through telemedicine platforms. MOH’s investigation into MaNaDr is ongoing, and further enforcement actions may be taken against the clinic and its key personnel. The MaNaDr website now prominently displays a notice stating that its teleconsultation services have been halted until further notice.