Health screenings meet exercise and wellness in Minmed’s offering at Jewel

IF ERIC Chiam had his way, locals and travellers alike would do their health screening in 45 to 60 minutes, then burn some calories in a rhythmic cycling session or participate in yoga, barre and Pilates classes – all at Jewel Changi Airport.

Yes, at the airport, because he believes that if you make health screening convenient and exercise sexy, people will come.

Indeed, earlier this month, the founder and chief executive officer of general practitioner (GP) clinic chain Minmed Group steered the company from healthcare to lifestyle by launching its first-to-market wellness initiative. Minmed Wellness Collective at Jewel combines a 1,500-square-foot health screening centre on the fourth storey, with fitness classes at iconic locations in Jewel.

Upscale setting

Designed to resemble first-class travel amenities, the centre has seven plush screening suites and is a comprehensive screening venue, equipped to conduct general radiology, ultrasound scans and mammograms.

Open daily, the centre offers non-fasting tests for blood cholesterol and diabetes screenings. Test results are available the next working day and delivered electronically through the Minmed Connect App. Follow-ups can be conducted via teleconsultation, eliminating the need for a second visit.

“So we expect this service to be well-received,” says Dr Chiam.

The health screening centre at Jewel is part of Minmed’s larger plan to provide comprehensive health screening services at de-centralised locations; its other centres are at Paragon in Orchard Road, Woodlands and Jurong West. The company also provides screening services at its 24 GP clinics, as well as through a mobile health screening team.

Minmed is also running its fourth fitness “studio” at Jewel – its first three are at Zion Road, Pearl’s Hill and UE Square. It holds rhythmic cycling classes at the Shiseido Forest Valley, right by the dramatic HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s largest indoor waterfall.

Taking up a cordoned-off quarter of the area are 35 bikes available for classes every Friday to Sunday. These sessions are conducted silent disco-style, where riders listen to music and instructions from their trainers using headsets.

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Yoga, barre and Pilates classes are conducted from Wednesday to Sunday in the lush Canopy Park on Jewel’s fifth storey.

The ‘holy grail’

The above may sound gimmicky, but there is a bigger picture into which these ideas fit. The “holy grail” for doctors, Dr Chiam said, is social prescription, which is a way of connecting people with activities, groups and services that improve their health and well-being.

“That means if your health screening indices are all bonkers, the right thing to do is not just prescribe medication, but have you go and be committed to a series of exercises,” he says.

“So what we want is a platform to make these activities available to patients and be able to follow up with them, knowing that they have attended the classes. When we have the loop-back in terms of their attendance, we can guide them towards a better outcome. This is the holy grail that we desire.”

Riding on Singapore’s strong reputation for healthcare, Minmed plans to offer its health screening services as part of tour packages for visitors from China. It is also looking to work with online travel platforms, so tourists can book their fitness classes at Jewel.

“All that can be part of their holiday, because cycling at an iconic location will be a tourist attraction, just like going to the zoo or museum,” said Sharmaine Chng, Minmed‘s executive director.

The long game

Last year, Minmed’s turnover hit S$50 million, from S$63 million in 2021 – a high base due to bumper revenue coming from vaccination and Covid-19 testing services.

Dr Chiam acknowledged that the 10,000 users in its fitness database pale in comparison to the 700,000 unique individuals in its healthcare business. But getting into the lifestyle and wellness industry is a long game that plays well into the nation’s Healthier SG strategy, which focuses on preventive medicine.

To scale its lifestyle offerings, strategic partnerships with fitness providers are being planned, so the group can expand its network, exercise genres and stable of instructors.

“We have to be broad-based, look at further fitness offerings, and be open-minded with regard to all other options out there, including high-intensity interval training and boxing,” said Dr Chiam, noting that yoga, barre, Pilates and rhythmic cycling are currently the “on-trend” exercises.

Meanwhile, his plans for Minmed include expanding its GP clinics to 40 outlets by end-2024 and going into tertiary care, with a paediatric practice set to open soon at Great World City. He is also preparing to launch a counselling centre and eyeing overseas expansion in Vietnam.

For now, Minmed, which also has two dental clinics, needs to ensure it gets the mechanics of its wellness approach right.

“We are developing a further understanding of the fitness landscape and how that integration into healthcare can work seamlessly,” he said. “How do we answer people’s needs? Is the product correct? It’s really very much about lifestyle.”