The verdict in three sentences
For a network of 6 clinics in Singapore, telehealth opens two markets that physical clinics capture poorly: busy professionals who will not take half a day off for a follow-up, and regional patients in Malaysia and Indonesia who want a Singapore doctor's opinion. A SaaS solution costs about 45 to 150 EUR per doctor per month; a custom platform costs 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) in the Kolonell grid and ships in 4 to 6 months. Compliance is not optional: the Healthcare Services Act licence for telemedicine and the PDPA shape hosting, consent and audit trails.
What a telehealth platform must do in Singapore
A generic video tool assumes the patient is in the same country, pays by card and needs nothing more than a call. A clinic network's reality is broader: patients consulting from mobile data on the MRT, a family member paying for an elderly parent, overseas patients, medication delivery, and records shared across 6 clinics.
| Need | International SaaS | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|
| Video on unstable mobile data | Often heavy, drops | Adaptive bitrate, automatic switch to audio |
| Booking via WhatsApp and SMS | Rare | Built in, automatic reminders |
| Payment by card, PayNow, overseas cards | Card only | All three, with receipt |
| Payment by a third party (child paying for a parent) | Missing | Dedicated flow |
| Single patient record across 6 clinics | Siloed per account | One record, role-based access |
| Signed prescription and memo as PDF | Variable | Generated and sent to the patient |
| Hosting aligned with PDPA and MOH guidance | Outside Singapore, to check | Chosen and documented |
3-year costs in 2026: SaaS or custom
Assumption: 20 doctors active on the platform. SaaS and video prices are 2026 market estimates; the custom figure is Kolonell's grid.
| Item | SaaS solution (market) | Custom platform (Kolonell grid) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 800-3,000 EUR | Included |
| Development | None | 7,000,000-15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670-22,870+ EUR) |
| Subscription | 45-150 EUR per doctor per month | None |
| Subscription over 36 months (20 doctors) | 32,400-108,000 EUR | 0 |
| Video | Included | 0.004 USD per minute per participant, about 400 USD a month |
| Maintenance | Included | 75,000-120,000 FCFA a month (110-180 EUR) |
| Timeline | 2 to 6 weeks | 4 to 6 months |
With a project at 12,000,000 FCFA (18,290 EUR), maintenance of 180 EUR a month and around 370 EUR of monthly video, custom comes to about 38,000 EUR over 3 years, against 32,400 to 108,000 EUR of SaaS subscriptions. The gap widens with every doctor added.
Health data and licensing: what is mandatory
Under the Healthcare Services Act, providing direct telemedicine services in Singapore requires an MOH licence, and patient data falls under the PDPA, with MOH guidance on telemedicine and cybersecurity on top. The specification must include explicit patient consent, encrypted hosting, logging of every record access, a retention policy, doctor identification with SMC registration and signed medical memos. Allow 4 to 8 weeks for licensing and compliance documentation, started during scoping.
Mini case study
Dr Mei Lin Tan, medical director of a 6-clinic network in Singapore, assigns a GP to 6 teleconsultations a day, 20 days a month, so 120 consultations. At an average fee of 28 USD (local patients at around 25 USD, overseas patients at around 40 USD), revenue reaches 3,360 USD per doctor per month.
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Variable costs: 20 minutes x 2 participants x 0.004 USD = 0.16 USD per consultation, about 19 USD a month; card and PayNow fees around 3%, about 100 USD. Net revenue before the doctor's pay: about 3,240 USD per doctor per month. With 10 doctors at this pace, the roughly 19,800 USD project is covered by less than one month of net teleconsultation revenue.
FAQ
Does telehealth work on mobile data?
Yes, with adaptive bitrate: video drops to 150 to 300 kbit/s and switches to audio if the network weakens. A 20-minute audio consultation uses about 10 MB.
Do we need a licence to offer teleconsultations?
Direct telemedicine services require an MOH licence under the Healthcare Services Act, and patient data must comply with the PDPA. Allow 4 to 8 weeks to prepare the documentation.
How do overseas patients pay?
The payer settles by international card or PayNow and receives the receipt; the patient gets the consultation link by SMS or WhatsApp. International card fees run around 3 to 3.5%.
Can the platform connect to the clinics' existing software?
Yes, through a connector to your clinic management or lab system. Allow 2 to 4 weeks per connection depending on how open the existing tool is.
How many doctors make custom more profitable than SaaS?
From 8 to 10 regular doctors, SaaS subscriptions generally exceed the cost of custom over 3 years. Below that, a SaaS can serve as a 6-month pilot.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of clinics, doctors and target patients (local, regional): we will scope a telehealth platform within the 7,000,000-15,000,000+ FCFA grid, with compliance documentation, deliverable in 4 to 6 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33, or request your quote.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
