Following criticism over excessively brief teleconsultations, telehealth provider MaNaDr has announced stricter measures to enhance service quality and rebuild patient trust.

During an April 2 press conference, Dr. Siaw Tung Yeng, co-founder and CEO of MaNaDr, revealed new safeguards for the platform's telemedicine services. According to CNA reports, doctors must now conduct consultations lasting at least one minute before issuing medical certificates (MCs).

The company is implementing comprehensive upgrades including:

• Enhanced vetting processes for doctors and clinics joining the platform

• AI-powered transcription of doctor-patient conversations

• Mandatory audio recordings of all consultations

• A forthcoming AI assistant to review consultation notes and suggest additional questions

"We are more committed than ever to creating a safe, ethical and effective platform," Dr. Siaw emphasized. The new systems aim to let doctors "focus more on patient care" while maintaining proper standards.

Clarifying Operational Structure

Dr. Siaw clarified that MaNaDr's technology platform operates separately from its now-closed physical clinic at City Gate. The revoked license applied only to MaNaDr Clinic Pte Ltd - a subsidiary managing the physical location independently.

The CEO confirmed that 50-100 partner clinics continue providing teleconsultations through the MaNaDr app using their own remote licenses. However, he acknowledged shortcomings in preventing service misuse: "We could have done a better job," he told The Straits Times.

Background: December 2024 License Revocation

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) revoked MaNaDr Clinic's outpatient license after discovering:

• A pattern of extremely brief video consultations (often under one minute)/ , ,< br / > ,

• Routine issuance of MCs following these abbreviated sessions < br / > ,

• Repeated MCs issued to same patients within short timeframes < br / > ,

• Inconsistent patient documentation - either suspiciously detailed given consultation length or dangerously sparse < br / > .

  The MOH statement from December 20 highlighted an "entrenched culture" violating clinical standards within the clinic operations.

  The revocation means ManaDR no longer runs any physical clinics in Singapore as it focuses on improving its telehealth technology platform.

  dana leong@asiaone com