IT is such a pity that a doctor was fined RM120,000 for not registering his clinic.

And since he couldn’t pay the fine, he was sentenced to a three-month jail term (”Doctor slapped with RM120,000 fine for illegal clinic” — NST, Jan 18).

In April, the director-general of health said the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 was enacted to direct private hospitals to carry out their social responsibilities and was not meant to be punitive or detrimental in nature.

He and the previous health minister, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, assured the medical community that since the act was outdated, changes would be made and ratified by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

These changes have yet to be agreed upon or ratified but the act has been applied, leading to a doctor being convicted on a technicality. This is the result of laws that are not debated transparently.

Someone down the road will have to bear the consequences.

This doctor’s “crime” was not that he performed an illegal operation, killed or maimed a patient.

He is a qualified doctor unlike sinsehs, bomohs or beauticians who carry out clinical procedures. His crime: he did not register his clinic.

Many doctors were wary of the implications of these measures when top health ministry officials were campaigning for this law.

All their assurances that doctors would not be punished on technicalities have come to naught.

Without a doubt, this incident will erode the trust doctors have in the ministry.

REUBEN SHER, Seremban

Source: NST – January 23, 2008