Surgeon faces SMC hearing

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Feb 6, 2010

Surgeon faces SMC hearing

Ongoing proceedings related to amount that doctor charged a patient

<!-- by line --> By Salma Khalik, Health Correspondent

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Dr Susan Lim is one of Singapore's most well-known private surgeons and was among a team of surgeons who carried out Singapore's first liver transplant about two decades ago. -- ST FILE PHOTO

<!-- story content : start --> ONE of Singapore's most prominent private surgeons has appeared before the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) for a disciplinary hearing. Dr Susan Lim's appearance before the committee is related to the amount she charged a patient from Brunei. After the patient left Singapore, she went to Britain for further treatment, but subsequently died.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
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[youallhumsup]

Court of Appeal reserves judgement on Dr Susan Lim case

By Saifulbahri Ismail | Posted: 10 November 2011 1531 hrs​

SINGAPORE: The Court of Appeal on Thursday reserved judgement on prominent surgeon Dr Susan Lim's attempt to overturn a High Court decision against her for overcharging her patient, a member of the Brunei royal family.

Dr Lim was appealing against the decision to allow the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) to convene a second disciplinary committee to hear her case.

A hearing before the SMC's disciplinary committee halted abruptly without a decision in July last year following accusations by Dr Lim's lawyers that the panel had prejudged the case.

Dr Lim has been embroiled in the high-profile case over her S$12 million bill for treating a cancer patient - the sister of the Brunei queen - over seven months in 2007.

Dr Lim, who's represented by Senior Counsel Lee Eng Beng from Rajah and Tann, told the court that the SMC has failed in its statutory obligation to provide a disciplinary process that is fair.

Mr Lee argued that the decision made by the Council to reconvene the disciplinary committee was not valid.

His argument was based on two emails, dated September 3 and 13 last year, sent to members of the Council by its secretariat.

The emails informed members about the Council's decision to appoint a second disciplinary committee and that if no responses were received from any member, the decision would be deemed to be unanimous.

Mr Lee claimed that the emails also do not contain sufficient information and do not advise the members of what had happened and what considerations they need to bear in mind before they could make a proper decision.

He also showed an affidavit filed by a member of the SMC, Dr Wilmot Rasanayagan, who said that he rejected the appointment of the second disciplinary committee.

The court has ordered that the SMC provides affidavits from members who received the emails to ascertain that they read and understood the decision by the Council.

The SMC represented by Mr Alvin Yeo from Wong Partnership has asked the court to dismiss the appeal.

Mr Yeo said that the charges against Dr Lim be allowed to be fully investigated in a formal inquiry by the second disciplinary committee.

- CNA/fa

 

[Darth Sidious]

Surgeon Susan Lim files appeal against suspension & fine
By Monica Kotwani | Posted: 23 August 2012 2020 hrs

Dr Susan Lim

SINGAPORE: Surgeon Susan Lim has filed an appeal to the High Court, against the punishment meted out by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC).

Channel NewsAsia understands the SMC has ruled that Dr Lim be suspended from practice for three years, fined S$10,000 and censured in writing.

Channel NewsAsia understands she was found guilty of 94 charges of professional misconduct in July.

The case revolves around overcharging the late sister of the Brunei queen.

Dr Lim's bill for treating Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit over seven months came up to S$25 million.

The patient died of cancer in 2007.

Dr Lim's case has been in the spotlight since 2010, when Singapore's Health Ministry filed charges of professional misconduct with SMC.

Dr Lim's lawyers told Channel NewsAsia in a statement that they would present submissions to the Court on the errors of law and of fact committed by the Disciplinary Committee in reaching its decision.

They want the court to reverse the decision in its entirety.

Channel NewsAsia understands the case will be heard in the second week of January 2013.

- CNA/ck

 

[Darth Sidious]

3-year suspension and $10k fine for Susan Lim

Thursday, Aug 23, 2012
YourHealth, AsiaOne

SINGAPORE - For overcharging her royal Brunei patient to the tune of over $20 million, renowned surgeon Susan Lim has been slapped with a three-year suspension and fined $10,000 by The Singapore Medical Council (SMC).

She is also to be censured in writing and must undertake not to overcharge again, The Straits Times reported.

However, Dr Lim, 57, is appealing against the penalties and will continue to practise pending the decision by the Court of Three Judges.

The appeal, to be held in January 2013, is expected to be the final stretch of the legal battle that has dragged on since 2008, when she was hauled up before SMC after the Health Ministry accused her of grossly overcharging the late Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit, sister of Brunei's queen.

She reportedly billed the patient $24.8 million for the seven months leading up to the patient's death in 2007.

According to court documents, Dr Lim was found guilty last month of 94 charges of professional misconduct, which included making false representations in invoices sent to other medical specialists called in for the patient's treatment.

However, Dr Lim claimed that she provided extraordinary services such as arranging an evacuation flight and that her charges are reasonable based on her past earnings. She also argued that the actual bill was much lower.

In March 2011, she sent a letter to then Foreign Minister George Yeo informing him that the disciplinary hearing might expose information that could cause "unnecessary embarrassment" to Brunei and affect bilateral ties.

In her latest attempt to have the decision overruled, she is asking that the court not only dismiss the penalties, but that it declare her not liable for the costs of the hearings before the disciplinary hearings and the Court of Three Judges.

Her lawyer, Senior Counsel Lee Eng Beng, is expected to argue that SMC's disciplinary committee's decision rationale contains "errors in law and errors of fact" and that there are no fee guidelines nor does the ethical code state a maximum amount a doctor can charge.

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[Watto]

Susan Lim appeal against SMC decision: Focus is how much doctors should charge

Published on Jan 15, 2013

General surgeon Susan Lim is appealing against an SMC disciplinary committee's guilty verdict for professional misconduct over the amount she had charged a royal patient from Brunei. -- PHOTO: ARTHUR LEE CH

By Salma Khalik

How much a doctor can and should charge was a key issue when the high-profile case of Susan Lim and the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) came up before the Court of Appeal on Tuesday morning.

She is appealing against an SMC disciplinary committee's guilty verdict for professional misconduct over the amount she had charged a royal patient from Brunei.

The cost of about half a year's care totalled $24 million before she halved it to $12.1 million with a discount. SMC handed her a three-year suspension and $10,000 fine.

Dr Lim's lawyer, Senior Counsel Lee Eng Beng, said SMC's finding was "a grotesque breach of the principles of fairness and natural justice".

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Sinkie]

Another money-face. Why bother. Let her rot.