Gleneagles Hong Kong, part of the IHH Healthcare multinational network, and SmarTone jointly announced a collaboration to advance smart health development by providing telemedicine services for residents in Yuen Long.

The first TeleCare SmartHub is located in the 3/F lobby of YOHO Midtown in Yuen Long. Through a dedicated mobile application, residents can make appointments and receive video consultations with Gleneagles’s doctors at the TeleCare SmartHub, without the need to travel to hospitals or clinics. The telemedicine services are provided by Gleneagles with SmarTone Solutions, the enterprise systems arm of SmarTone, which provides technical support.

The initiative aligns with the development direction of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to utilize technology to enhance community access to healthcare services, promote the development of a smart health ecosystem, and pave the way for new possibilities for interconnected healthcare service models in the future.

Gleneagles’s telemedicine service is the first in the Asia-Pacific region to have achieved accreditation from the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI) for telehealth and remote care services.

“Gleneagles Hong Kong is committed to advancing healthcare innovation by integrating new technologies into clinical services. Through actively collaborating with partners across different sectors, we explore how technology can enhance the quality, efficiency and accessibility of healthcare services,’’ said Dr. Kenneth Tsang, regional chief executive officer of IHH Healthcare North Asia.

By joining forces, professional healthcare services can extend beyond traditional care settings and into the community, providing patients with more convenient and timely access to medical support, Tsang added.

The goal is to further expand this service model “to bring high-quality healthcare closer to people’s everyday needs while contributing to the development of a more sustainable and connected smart healthcare ecosystem,’’ he said. 

Fiona Lau, CEO of SmarTone, said that with the future growth of the Northern Metropolis and its expanding population, “not only residents but also a growing workforce will require the hospital-grade, premium medical services. This partnership with Gleneagles Hong Kong successfully combines the innovative technology applications of SmarTone solutions with the community network of the Northern Metropolis.”

This will enable residents to receive video consultations with Gleneagles’s doctors “without the hassle of travelling or waiting in queues. Moving forward, we will continue to deepen our collaboration by leveraging 5G and innovative digital technologies to seamlessly connect professional healthcare with daily life,” Lau said. She went on to say that the company will also expand its TeleCare SmartHub coverage to more communities “and support the smart city development of the Northern Metropolis and the Greater Bay Area by helping build a more interconnected and convenient smart health ecosystem.”

Once a resident makes an appointment through the TeleCare SmartHub mobile application and attends their scheduled video consultation at the station, health data will be automatically uploaded to the system for the doctor’s reference. Patients can also view the relevant health data within the mobile application. Following the video consultation, prescribed medication, sick leave certificates and related documents will be delivered to the registered address. To ensure sanitary cleanliness, the TeleCare SmartHub will undergo regular cleaning and disinfection, Gleneagles Hong Kong said.

Gleneagles Hong Kong and SmarTone said they plan to continue exploring new applications for quality healthcare services in different care settings. The TeleCare SmartHub will be extended to more residential communities, including Sierra Sea, The Visionary, Riva, Royal Palms and Palatial Coast as the two partners continue to promote the development of smart healthcare.