Doctor suspended from making claims on behalf of patients after being charged with cheating, sexual offences
Dr Lim Yong Chin can continue to work as a doctor "as long as his registration with and his practising certificate issued by the Singapore Medical Council remain valid", said the Health Ministry.
A file photo of Access Medical (Bedok South) in October 2013.
SINGAPORE: A doctor charged with cheating national healthcare groups and sexual offences has been suspended from making Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), MediSave and MediShield Life claims on behalf of patients.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (Sep 6) that it served Dr Lim Yong Chin with a notice of interim suspension of approval on Monday, which removed him from the list of approved medical practitioners under the MediSave and MediShield Life schemes.
During the suspension, he cannot make any claims under CHAS, MediSave or MediShield Life for his patients for any medical treatment and service.
In February, the founder and director of the Access Medical Clinics group was charged in court for a number of offences. These include 15 counts of cheating the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics and SingHealth Polyclinics into disbursing CHAS subsidies for fictitious claims, as well as sexual crimes against at least three teenagers.
MOH said on Wednesday that Dr Lim can continue to provide medical treatment "as long as his registration with and his practising certificate issued by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) remain valid".
His suspension will start from Sep 19 until criminal proceedings relating to his cheating offences have concluded, said MOH.
About four years ago, MOH suspended 10 clinics under the Access Medical group from the CHAS scheme for “severe non-compliance” issues with subsidies.
CHAS gives low- to middle-income Singaporeans and those from the pioneer generation subsidies at more than 1,000 participating general practitioner (GP) clinics and 700 dental clinics islandwide.
"MOH takes a serious view of fraudulent claims, and will not hesitate to take action where non-compliance is uncovered," it said.
"We remind healthcare professionals to uphold a high standard of professionalism and adhere to the SMC's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines."
In response to CNA's queries, the SMC said on Sep 29 that it makes a "considered assessment" when there are concerns about a doctor's practice, including those involving sexual crimes or violence.
SMC may also seek to have interim orders imposing conditions on a doctor’s registration or suspend the doctor through a committee, pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings.
The conditions of the measures imposed will be specifically calibrated to address the concerns of each case. They must also be "balanced against the presumption of innocence accorded to the doctor until he or she is found to be guilty by the Courts", said SMC.
"Given the charges faced by Dr Lim, the SMC decided to obtain an undertaking from him to have a chaperone at all times when he conducts clinical examinations on female patients," said the council.
Such measures are taken where necessary for the protection of members of the public or if it is in the interest of the public or the doctor, SMC said.
"The SMC is monitoring Dr Lim’s case closely and will decide on the next steps to take if there are any material changes to Dr Lim’s circumstances or at the conclusion of Dr Lim’s criminal proceedings."
It added that it has not received any complaints related to inappropriate sexual conduct from either patients or the public against Dr Lim.
