Doctor Anywhere slashes workforce by 8% in restructuring push

SINGAPORE: Healthcare provider Doctor Anywhere (DA) has laid off about 45 employees, or 8.1 per cent of its workforce, across Southeast Asia.

"This restructuring is part of a broader effort to adapt to current economic challenges and secure the company's long-term sustainability," said Doctor Anywhere on Friday (Dec 13) in response to queries from CNA, adding that less than 20 per cent of the roles made redundant were Singapore-based.

"This difficult decision was made to ensure DA remains focused on areas where we can deliver the greatest impact to our patients and partners, and align most closely with our mission to build a more affordable and accessible 'Hospital Anywhere' model in Asia."

The affected roles had become "duplicative" as the company streamlined its operations and restructured its technology team into "leaner, more agile units", said Doctor Anywhere. It added that no medical doctors or healthcare professionals were impacted.

"We have also offered alternative internal job matching where suitable, and are continuing to hire for other functions," it told CNA.

When asked how it would assist affected workers, it said it would provide "enhanced severance benefits that exceed statutory requirements, including severance pay based on tenure, notice period pay, leave encashment, and extended healthcare coverage where applicable".

Doctor Anywhere added that it will also support affected staff with immigration assistance, where necessary. 

Responding to questions from CNA about the layoffs, Mr Steven Goh, executive secretary of the Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU), said that while Doctor Anywhere is a non-unionised company, it has workers who are members of HSEU, an affiliated union with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

In retrenchment exercises at non-unionised companies where individual union members are affected, NTUC's affiliated unions or associations will extend assistance to the individual union members who have been retrenched, he said.

"With reference to this exercise, HSEU is actively reaching out to these members and remains committed to providing support, if needed," he said.

He added that NTUC, in collaboration with its labour movement network, also stands ready to offer support and resources to affected staff.

"This includes NTUC's e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), which provides job matching services and career advisory assistance to help workers in Singapore regain employment and enhance their employability," Mr Goh said.

HSEU members who want to attend courses to upgrade their skills can also tap on the Union Training Assistance Programme to defray the costs of these courses.

Doctor Anywhere had announced plans in 2022 to double its then headcount of over 450 people as well as add 200 new roles to its regional headquarters in Singapore.

Founded in 2017 as a Singapore telehealth start-up, it has since grown to become a regional healthcare provider with a presence in six Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

According to its website, Doctor Anywhere serves more than 2.8 million users across the region via telemedicine services, while it also operates seven clinics across Singapore and an integrated medical centre in Orchard Road.

For FY23, it saw an operating loss of S$31.1 million (US$23.6 million), which was an improvement of 17 per cent year on year, several Singapore media outlets, including The Business Times, reported.

According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website, employers must inform the ministry of retrenchments within five working days after notifying affected employees. 

This enables Workforce Singapore (WSG), the tripartite partners comprising MOM, NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), as well as other relevant agencies to help affected employees find alternative employment or identify relevant training to enhance employability.