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SINGAPORE \u2013 Between 2023 and 2025, more than 20 doctors and dentists here were caught practising without a valid registration or after their practising certificates had expired.<\/p>\n
No patient was harmed in the cases reported and investigated, the Ministry of Health (MOH) told The Straits Times. <\/p>\n
MOH said these errant practitioners were formally trained practitioners who did not have the necessary or valid credentials, mainly due to issues that were \u201cadministrative in nature and not related to professional competency\u201d. <\/p>\n
In several instances, the practitioners had unintentionally continued practising after their practising certificates had expired, it said. <\/p>\n
But in the light of the cases, MOH sent a circular on Feb 6 to remind all licensees under the Healthcare Services Act and its Regulations, including general practitioners and dental clinics, to have proper credential verification processes in place. <\/p>\n
The circular seen by ST said MOH had been notified that some licensees \u201cmay not be conducting adequate due diligence\u201d to ensure all professionals are registered and hold valid practising certificates before they are employed or engaged to provide medical or dental services physically or remotely. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is particularly of concern for licensees employing or engaging the services of locum doctors or dentists,\u201d said Adjunct Professor Raymond Chua, MOH\u2019s deputy director-general of health for health regulation, who signed the circular. <\/p>\n
MOH reminded licensees that such verification is a mandatory requirement, and \u201cfailure to conduct proper due diligence may be an offence\u201d that merits investigation and enforcement action. <\/p>\n
An MOH spokesman said the cases were split somewhat evenly between doctors and dentists. <\/p>\n
Warnings were issued to 19 errant practitioners after investigations had concluded, added the spokesman. The remaining cases are still under investigation. MOH said most were found through periodic checks conducted by the Singapore Medical Council and Singapore Dental Council. <\/p>\n
Some cases in the past have involved unauthorised and untrained persons performing medical procedures, which were different in nature from these 20 or so cases. <\/p>\n
In one such case in 2018, an unqualified individual was allowed to administer Botox injections to fellow participants in a course she was taking on dermal fillers. She was sentenced to two months\u2019 jail, and the aesthetic doctor who ran the course and allowed the individual to administer the injections was fined<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Doctors and dentists who practise without medical registration, and\/or without a valid practising certificate, could be charged with contravening the Medical Registration Act or the Dental Registration Act, respectively. The penalties can be a fine, imprisonment, or both. <\/p>\n The criteria and documents required for professional registration or for the application or renewal of practising certificates for both doctors and dentists are largely similar and stringent. <\/p>\n To renew a practising certificate, the applicant has to meet the minimum point requirements for Continuing Professional Education through participating in academic events, publishing journal papers and taking online courses. <\/p>\n Besides doctors and dentists, other health professionals, including nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, optometrists and opticians, face similar requirements of registration with their profession\u2019s respective professional bodies and holding valid practising certificates or credentials. <\/p>\n MOH said no cases involving other healthcare professionals were investigated during this same period. <\/p>\n Members of the public who wish to verify if a healthcare professional has been registered and holds a valid practising certificate can do so through the Health Professionals Portal<\/span><\/a>. <\/p>\n Patients who have concerns about a registered healthcare professional\u2019s credentials should contact MOH<\/span><\/a> with supporting information. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n