SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - Healthcare heavyweight IHH Healthcare on Wednesday (May 13) said it has made telemedicine available across its key markets globally, including in Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, India and Hong Kong.

With this rollout, patients are now able to "enjoy more convenient access to IHH's full suite of services from consultation to doorstep drug delivery, with the option for a transfer to the group's brick-and-mortar facilities if necessary", the mainboard-listed company said.

It added that this expansion of its services is part of the group's strategy to meet evolving patient needs and is timely amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Within Singapore, IHH patients can book virtual consultations with doctors from Parkway Shenton clinics. They can do so by downloading the MyHealth Connect app and scheduling an appointment to join a teleconsult session. Thereafter, patients in Singapore will be able to retrieve their e-medical certificate through the app and collect their medication at their doorstep.

IHH chief executive officer Kelvin Loh told The Business Times earlier this week that the group remains in good health despite the novel coronavirus outbreak and that it has seen traction for the group's telemedicine initiative.

In March this year, IHH co-led a minority investment in Singapore-based telehealth start-up Doctor Anywhere, as part of the start-up's US$27 million Series B fundraising.

The group also previously invested in Lucence Diagnostics, which offers blood-based screening and treatment monitoring solutions for oncology patients.

As at 1.21pm on Wednesday, shares in IHH were trading at $1.73, up $0.05 or 3 per cent.