Marine Parade Polyclinic opens with new convenient features for patients

Marine Parade Polyclinic's new medication collection service, called Pilbox, which allows patients with chronic illnesses to collect medication even after office hours. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Marine Parade Polyclinic re-opened on May 18, 2016, with new services to help patients as well as elderly-friendly facilities. ST PHOTOL CHEW SENG KIM
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong getting a demonstration of how Pilbox works, on May 18, 2016. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
A nurse guiding a patient through the registration process at the newly re-opened Marine Parade Polyclinic. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Priority seats near the registration counter at the Marine Parade Polyclinic. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
A patient collection his prescription at Marine Parade Polyclinic's pharmacy. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

SINGAPORE - Mr Kandasamy Indramohan, 60, usually visits the Marine Parade Polyclinic in the mornings for medication, and has to rush to work after that.

However, with a newservice called Prescription in a Locker Box (Pilbox), the 60-year-old can now collect his refills even after the clinic has closed.

In the Pilbox service, a patient schedules a date with the clinic and asks for his regular medication. This will then be put into a locker at a kiosk outside the clinic. Then, at his convenience, the patient goes to the kiosk and makes payment. The door of the locker opens and he collects his medications.

Like Mr Kandasamy, who has diabetes and high cholesterol, many of the clinic's chronic patients stand to benefit from this new feature, which was rolled out when the clinic reopened in February this year.

The clinic, which is run by SingHealth Polyclinics, was closed in May 2015 to facilitate upgrading works. It was officially reopened on Wednesday (May 18).

In his welcome address at the event, guest-of-honour Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong thanked SingHealth Polyclinics staff for taking care of residents in Marine Parade and encouraged them to continue to work hard.

The new clinic has doubled in size and now has 28 service rooms, up from 18. It also has larger waiting areas, X-ray services and elderly friendly features such as ramps, handrails, lifts, low counters and larger signs.

Walk-in patients can now call ahead, fix an appointment and turn up at the agreed time rather than go to the clinic and wait.

Mr Kandasamy, who is a general manager in a construction firm, said: "The Pilbox service is good for regular patients as the prescription is always the same. It cuts down my 1/2 hour to 45 minute wait for medication."

The facility's Clinic Director, Dr Agnes Koong expects that the Pilbox service will benefit the elderly. "What we realised is that the elderly are willing to try new things but need a human to bridge the gap."

So volunteers from Helping Hands, a clinic initiative, are on site to interact with and help patients in using technology-based services.

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