Doctors see surge in patients in clinics, online amid COVID-19 wave

Providers are leveraging artificial intelligence and hiring short-term help to ease the manpower crunch.

SINGAPORE: More people are seeking treatment in clinics and online amid the latest surge in COVID-19 cases.

The number of patients consulting doctors on WhiteCoat, a telehealth service provider, has “risen significantly”, said the firm’s senior medical director Dr Tan Ming Wei.

"Our patient load has remained elevated. It's so far already been about 50 per cent higher compared to the whole of last December,” he added.

The numbers started increasing in October this year, and it has since been all hands on deck for the team comprising about 100 doctors, he noted.

“Although the queues can (have) several hundreds (patients) at a time sometimes, we have a sizable in-house medical team and quite a large pool of partner doctors,” he said.

Across Raffles Medical's 48 GP clinics, patient loads are up 30 to 50 per cent this festive season, its medical director Dr Chng Shih Kiat said.

PATIENTS WITH COVID-19, OTHER RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES

Healthcare providers said COVID-19 patients are contributing to the surge in numbers.

The current COVID-19 wave may have peaked, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said last Friday (Dec 22). The estimated seven-day moving average of COVID-19 infections stood at 3,650 on Tuesday, less than half the 7,870 on Dec 12.

At Doctor Anywhere, which provides telehealth services and has nine physical clinics across the island, the number of COVID-19 patients has doubled from a month ago, a spokesperson said.

To improve waiting times and to free up capacity, the healthcare provider has rescheduled some non-urgent appointments, such as patients who have booked health screenings.

While a significant number of patients consulting with WhiteCoat have COVID-19, a large proportion have other ailments such as non-COVID respiratory infections, gastroenteritis and minor injuries, said Dr Tan.

Dr Marcus Lee, assistant medical director at Fullerton Health, which runs 30 clinics, said the current situation is “slightly more challenging”.

“The surge (in patients) is really quite high now. The last time we had such a huge surge was (in) the beginning of 2022. But nevertheless, we have been trained already … so we are better equipped mentally and physically,” he said.

Providers said that COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms and recover fast but warned that infection numbers may continue to rise.

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY

Clinics are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help ease the crunch.

Doctor Anywhere uses AI to forecast spikes in demand. This allows the company to allocate more resources ahead of time, its spokesperson said.

WhiteCoat also uses AI to predict trends in patient caseloads. “This helps us plan ahead of time in terms of manpower, stock and logistics,” said Dr Tan.

However, despite planning ahead, some circumstances can throw a spanner in the works.

ENSURING SUFFICIENT MANPOWER

At Raffles Medical, although staff rosters were made six months in advance, cases like healthcare workers falling sick mean that there are still some constraints.

“We do see a lot of movements and requests for staff coverage, especially these last few weeks where the COVID numbers are surging. Almost probably three or four times a week; quite common,” said Dr Chng.

To ease the crunch, the clinics may draw on staff from other branches, the hospital, or hire external short-term help.

Fullerton Health has also had to call in extra manpower three to four times a week. From lessons learnt during the pandemic, it is also now also planning its rosters a year in advance.

"As far as possible, we have to let people have the adequate amount of leave. Because if we rush people back, that has a damaging effect on morale. And not to mention, practically, it could cause a further spread of various pathogens among the workplace, said Dr Lee.

At the same time, the group ensures adequate infection control measures among staff to reduce infections among themselves, he said.

Fullerton Health also uses telemedicine to complement its in-clinic consults. Another group, Healthway Medical, is also using teleconsultations to meet the surge in demand. It said the move is to prevent overcrowding at its 57 GP clinics and to better manage serious cases.