Here’s what happens when lab testing meets traditional Chinese medicine

In Singapore, healthcare has long existed on parallel tracks. 

Western medicine offers precision, diagnostics, and measurable outcomes; traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) relies on centuries-old frameworks of energy, constitution, and balance. For many, navigating both means juggling appointments, reconciling differing advice, and sometimes duplicating tests.

The new Parkway Shenton–Eu Yan Sang collaboration seeks to bridge this divide, all under one roof. 

At their co-located clinic on the third floor of Guoco Tower, patients encounter a carefully choreographed experience: where lab-based Western diagnostics and holistic TCM assessment integrated into a single workflow, culminating in one coherent report. 

It is perhaps no surprise that screenings like this are gaining traction. With lifestyle-related risks on the rise, chronic conditions increasingly common, and preventive health more widely discussed – initiatives such as Screen for Life have normalised regular checks – there is a growing appetite for assessments that go beyond numbers on a chart. 

The East-Meets-West screening addresses that demand, pairing conventional metrics with TCM insights to give patients a fuller picture of not just what their body is doing, but how it is functioning as a whole.

“By working with Eu Yan Sang, we’re offering our patients a more holistic approach to the management of their health, with the flexibility to act on it in a way that suits their needs and lifestyle,” says Tay Wee Kai, CEO of Parkway Shenton.

“This collaboration harnesses the strengths of both systems for the benefit of the patient.”

The assessment

The clinic itself reflects this philosophy. Though housed in a modern high-rise, the interior exudes restrained warmth: bright, orderly reception areas, gleaming counters softened by timber panels, and subtle lighting.

Patients begin with a health declaration detailing lifestyle, diet, medical history, and pre-existing conditions – an essential step, albeit straightforward, that establishes context for both Western and TCM assessments.

Unsurprisingly, screening starts with conventional measurements: blood pressure, height, weight, and body mass index, with optional eyesight and colour-blindness tests. Blood and urine samples are taken to check cholesterol, glucose, liver and kidney function, and overall metabolic health. Depending on age and risk factors, an electrocardiogram may also be performed. These tests provide baseline metrics and flag early signs of conditions such as hypertension or high cholesterol.

The Western assessment is, of course, precise and methodical, but it is only one layer of the process. Patients then move to the TCM consultation – a more reflective stage.

In a private room, the TCM physician examines the tongue, palpates the pulse, and asks detailed questions about sleep, digestion, energy, and stress. Using the classical four diagnostic methods (望闻问切), the physician assesses body constitution (体质报告) and identifies subtle patterns that may not surface in lab results.

A borderline blood pressure reading, for example, might be interpreted alongside indicators of stress or “Liver Qi stagnation,” offering insights into underlying imbalances. Other insights may involve emotional tendencies, eating habits, bowel movements, sensitivity to environmental changes, or, for women, menstrual patterns.

Contrary to popular belief, this interpretive layer complements, rather than conflicts with, the hard data, creating a richer, more nuanced picture of health.

Even when lab results appear normal, subtle imbalances in energy, digestion, or stress can show up in TCM assessments, allowing patients to take proactive steps before problems arise, said Dr Chan Jing Wen, one of the clinic’s TCM practitioners.

Practicalities have been streamlined: screenings are largely non-fasting, eliminating the discomfort and scheduling hurdles of traditional fasted tests. Patients are advised in advance if fasting is required, depending on their package or health profile.

Overall, the initial diagnostic process takes about 45 minutes to an hour, setting the stage for the follow-up visit – when the findings from both Western and TCM assessments are brought together.

A unified report

The innovation lies not in offering two sets of assessments, but in synthesising them.

Following the initial screening, the GP and TCM physician compare notes, align recommendations, and present the patient with a single, integrated health report. Lab results and vital signs sit alongside lifestyle, stress, and dietary guidance from TCM. 

Crucially, the report is designed to be actionable, digestible, and avoids the redundancy often encountered when consulting both systems separately.

At a follow-up visit, typically two weeks later, patients receive this consolidated dossier in a joint consultation with both doctors. The Parkway Shenton GP breaks down the hard numbers – cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose levels, body mass index, and even calculated risk of coronary heart disease – while the Eu Yan Sang physician layers on further perspective.

Here, diet recommendations, herbal support, and stress management advice are tailored to the patient’s constitution, with guidance presented side by side with Western interventions, not in opposition.

Still, the two approaches remain distinct tracks – the biomedical model on one hand, the TCM framework on the other. What makes the process reassuring is their coordination: by sitting in the same consultation, both doctors ensure patients aren’t left to reconcile conflicting advice on their own.

The effect is more of a carefully managed coexistence than a true synthesis – but perhaps that is the point. Instead of forcing convergence, the clinic frames difference as complementarity, leaving patients with a wider palette of options and a set of practical, personalised habits to take forward.

Beyond the screenings

The collaboration is not limited to preventive checks. 

Both providers are also piloting a shared chronic disease management protocol, beginning with hypertension. In practice, this means conventional blood pressure monitoring and lab tests are paired with TCM’s pattern differentiation, herbal prescriptions, and relaxation-based therapies.

“The response has been encouraging,” representatives from Parkway Shenton and Eu Yan Sang wrote in a joint response, noting that while the model is still in its early stages, patients have shown interest in the integrated format.

The idea is to reduce reliance on medication, manage stress, and improve long-term outcomes, representatives add – a model that could eventually be extended to conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. 

Patients can also opt for short add-ons, such as 15-minute acupuncture or tuina sessions for a nominal fee, as introductions to targeted interventions for stress or musculoskeletal issues.

Certainly, how effective these combined approaches will be on a larger scale remains to be seen. For now, they represent an experiment in coordinated care: Western monitoring on one side, TCM therapies on the other, loosely joined by the aim of improving quality of life.

Two East-Meets-West Integrative Health Screening packages are currently offered, priced at $389 and $468. Both include a standard GP consultation and laboratory tests, a TCM assessment, and a joint post-screening review. 

While these packages are not covered by subsidies, subsequent treatment of diagnosed conditions – such as hypertension or diabetes – may fall under existing schemes like MediSave, CHAS, or Healthier SG, depending on eligibility.

Redefining preventative care

The screening offers a structured way for patients to experience both Western and TCM perspectives in one sitting. Observationally, the collaboration appears relatively smooth: data from lab work and constitutions are presented clearly, and consultations allow for discussion without overt marketing pressure. 

This is not Eu Yan Sang’s first foray into preventive care. The company first experimented with the concept in 2021 with its One Wellness Medical clinic, which paired a GP clinic with TCM services under one roof. It shut its doors in March 2025.

“While the concept received positive feedback from patients, our experience over the years showed that to scale this model meaningfully, the most effective way forward is through the collaboration of two strong, focused brands,” said Ng Seow Ling, Managing Director of Eu Yan Sang TCM Clinic. 

Though operating both systems under one roof provided valuable insight for the Eu Yan Sang team, focus on the individual tracks of each model has proved more efficient than integration, to reach their broader goal: offering patients a well-coordinated pathway to better health.

Patients have generally been open to exploring TCM within this structured framework, notes TCM practitioner Dr. Chan. However, challenges remain in the wider TCM landscape, including credibility, certification, and consistent standards. Collaborating with Parkway Shenton helps reassure patients and provides a framework for professional, evidence-informed TCM practice.

For patients who already straddle both systems, the collaboration eliminates the hassle of reconciling different methodologies and overlapping results. For others, it offers a structured entry point into TCM without losing the certainty of Western diagnostics.

As preventive health becomes a national priority under initiatives like Healthier SG, the Parkway Shenton–Eu Yan Sang model gestures towards a more holistic future: care that is not only evidence-based but also culturally resonant, one that addresses symptoms and root causes in tandem.

It is early days yet, but the Parkway Shenton–Eu Yan Sang model suggests a potential shift in Singapore’s healthcare landscape – not merely a matter of convenience, but a way of thinking about health that is rigorous, holistic, and ultimately empowering.