Some residents in Tengah have complained that they were turned away from the town’s first and only general practitioner clinic because a doctor was unavailable during operating hours.
Staff at the Minmed clinic, located in the retail strip of Plantation Village, reportedly repeatedly advised residents to seek medical advice remotely through the company’s app.
A 36-year-old resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was turned away three times in 2025 and had to walk about 10 minutes to a clinic in Bukit Batok.
Mr. Zheng, an engineer, said: “Although Bukit Batok is not far away, I hope Minmed’s service will be more reliable as it is currently the only clinic in Tengah.”
Another resident, Nicholas Foo, a 39-year-old freight forwarder, said that he called after get off work in June to make an appointment for an evening clinic but was told that no doctor was available.
Foo added that he frequently passed by the clinic and noticed that it was closed several times during its stated operating hours. Several Google reviewers have expressed similar complaints.
The Minmed clinic opened in August 2024 after winning a tender from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) with a monthly rental of $35,999. Tengah welcomed its first residents in August 2023, and by July 2025, National Development Minister Desmond Lee announced the completion of nearly 12,000 HDB flats.
The clinic operates from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, with a one-hour break at noon and in the evening, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends.
In response to The Straits Times, Dr. Eric Chiam, CEO of Minmed, stated that the clinic faced “infrastructure and operational challenges” during its initial opening. These challenges were largely resolved by the end of 2024, but recurred in May and June 2025.
He noted that the clinic currently has one resident doctor and several regular relief doctors, with two doctors on duty on Monday mornings. “We will redeploy doctors as needed to ensure continuity of service.
However, in rare emergency situations, if a doctor is unable to be present, we may offer teleconsultation as an alternative,” said Dr. Chiam. “We recognize the impact this may have on patients and have taken further measures to ensure they receive good care.”
He added that Minmed plans to provide 24-hour service at its clinic in Tengah once the town’s population increases and demand reaches sustainable levels.
Meanwhile, Minmed’s dental clinic, located in the same unit, began operations on August 25, and pediatric services are available by appointment on Thursdays.
Five other residents interviewed by The Straits Times said that queues at general practitioner clinics typically range from eight to ten people in the morning, with wait times of about an hour.