Singapore-headquartered and listed multinational banking and financial services corporation, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, Limited or more commonly known as OCBC Bank, yesterday announced the launch of the HealthPass by OCBC mobile app. The bank has partnered with seven medical groups and the HealthPass by OCBC app will provide access to more than 100 GPs and specialists to address the healthcare needs of all Singapore residents over the age of 18, including non-OCBC Bank customers.

Video consultations with both GPs and specialist doctors can be booked and administered through the app, with medication delivered to the patient’s doorstep.

The consultation fee is kept flat at S$20 for each telehealth and in-clinic visit to a GP during normal operating hours. Patients pay a flat fee of S$100 for the first telehealth or in-clinic consultation with any of the 63 specialist doctors from 21 specialties including gynecology, pediatrics, cardiology, dermatology and oncology, which are among the top fields of specialist medicine Singaporeans often seek medical advice for.

According to OCBC Bank, HealthPass by OCBC integrates directly with the healthcare partner’s clinic management systems, and information is only accessible by users and their doctors, which provides personal data privacy and security. Patients can also access digital Medical Certificates (MC), clinic invoices and laboratory results from the clinics visited securely through the app.

In addition to telehealth and in-clinic and services, HealthPass by OCBC also partners CXA, an employee benefits insurtech startup in Singapore, to provide users with access to more than 100 merchant offers through the app’s wellness store. They will also be able to purchase preventive health services, such as health screenings, directly via the app. Other services available for purchase in the store include Traditional Chinese Medicine, dental and pain management services.

THE LARGER TREND

As Singapore enters a safe re-opening phase from the recent ‘circuit breaker’ (a form of semi-lockdown) period, and with the Multi-Ministry Taskforce recommending that individuals continue to minimize physical medical visits whenever possible, convenient access to doctors through telehealth will help to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The usual players getting into the telehealth services space are telehealth startups or healthcare providers, and OCBC Bank appears to be one of the first non-traditional players to enter the space. Last month, IHH Healthcare, Asia’s largest privately owned healthcare group, rolled out telemedicine services in Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, India and Hong Kong, Healthcare IT News reported.

ON THE RECORD

“COVID-19 will eventually pass, but its impact on the community will be long felt, and widespread access to telehealth will provide a big boost to help manage Singapore’s healthcare needs. Notwithstanding that, in-clinic visits are still necessary for certain medical treatments. As a result, we will on-board more clinics and healthcare providers on the HealthPass by OCBC app to ensure at least one clinic in the proximity of everyone’s home and workplace,” said Pranav Seth, Head of Digital and Innovation, OCBC Bank.