SINGAPORE — Singapore’s fifth Family Medicine Clinic (FMC), located at Chinatown, has seen more than 630 patient visits since it began operating in January, and more than 290 patients from Singapore General Hospital have also agreed to receive follow-up care at the clinic in the coming months.

Officially opened yesterday, the FMC caters mainly to patients referred by SingHealth’s hospitals and national specialty centres, but also serves walk-in patients. It is part of efforts to leverage the strengths of public and private sectors to provide integrated care for patients.

Speaking at the opening yesterday, Professor Fong Kok Yong, group director (Medical) at SingHealth, said there is a need to partner doctors in the primary care setting to meet evolving health needs. “Singapore’s population is ageing very rapidly. Many of our aged patients have multiple chronic conditions. What’s been the model of care in the acute care setting cannot meet the long term needs,” he said.

To ensure coordinated care, SingHealth medical specialists work closely with the FMC to manage each patient’s condition. Patients are also assigned a personal doctor at the clinic who has access to his medical history.

VIMITA MOHANDAS