33 medical, dental complaints lodged since 2023

The Medical and Dental Secretariat received 33 complaints from patients from 2023 until September this year.

The Secretariat operates under strict administrative and statutory procedures, and when a complaint is registered formally, the respondent is given 14 days to submit a defence.

A total of four complaints were made in 2023, of which three remain pending.

The Ministry of Health says the final investigation reports for two of these long-standing matters are complete and compiled for deliberation at the upcoming Medical Professional Conduct Committee meeting.

It says the third case from 2023 remains under active investigation.

In 2024, 11 cases were registered, of which eight files remain pending under active processing, with several currently nearing late-stage resolution and completion checks.

For last year, of the 11 cases lodged, seven files are undergoing formal investigator review, one final investigation report is being finalized for immediate submission, and two files have been referred back directly to the complainant.

So far this year, all seven complaints remain under investigation.

The Ministry says that 16 complaints include clinical negligence, misdiagnosis, and treatment delay.

Thirteen cases involve breaches of patient confidentiality, alteration of clinical records, misleading advertisements, and fraud.

During the reporting period, there were two cases of aiding or abetting unlicensed practice.