Ong Ye Kung on regulating telemedicine providers
The regulation of telemedicine is not different from that of all other economic activities - standards are set, licensing is required, periodic audits are conducted for each clinic, complaints are investigated and offenders taken to task. Such regulatory frameworks cannot eradicate offenders but they ensure that when practices have gone astray, especially with the advent of new technology and business models, they can be corrected promptly. And this is exactly what happened in the case of MaNaDr, in which its doctors issued medical certificates in a way that fell short of regulations. Several doctors also appeared to have breached the Singapore Medical Council’s guidelines and were referred to the council for further disciplinary actions. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung gave this update in reply to MPs’ questions in Parliament on Monday (Nov 11).
The regulation of telemedicine is not different from that of all other economic activities - standards are set, licensing is required, periodic audits are conducted for each clinic, complaints are investigated and offenders taken to task. Such regulatory frameworks cannot eradicate offenders but they ensure that when practices have gone astray, especially with the advent of new technology and business models, they can be corrected promptly. And this is exactly what happened in the case of MaNaDr, in which its doctors issued medical certificates in a way that fell short of regulations. Several doctors also appeared to have breached the Singapore Medical Council’s guidelines and were referred to the council for further disciplinary actions. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung gave this update in reply to MPs’ questions in Parliament on Monday (Nov 11).
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