SINGAPORE - Free telemedicine support for all Covid-19 patients will be discontinued from Sept 11.

Patients who have been referred for this free service on or before Sept 10 will continue to receive the support for 14 days from the date of their referral, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Since February, patients with a higher risk of severe Covid-19, including those with underlying health conditions or those who are immunocompromised, have been referred by their doctors for free telemedicine support.

This measure was implemented to prevent overcrowding in hospital emergency departments.

In the past three months, an average of about 50 Covid-19 patients each month used the free telemedicine service.

As these patients’ conditions were generally mild, there have been no escalations to the emergency departments.

The discontinuation of the free telemedicine support will not significantly impact the capacity of emergency departments in hospitals, said MOH.

Covid-19 patients who need medical assistance can either consult a doctor in person or choose a telemedicine provider via FluGoWhere.