Epocrates Online

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Don’t Jail Doctors Blog Campaign


Haven't been blogging for very long time. Following Palmdoc's call, I've put up the 'Don't Jail Doctors' banner on the side bar of this blog in support of 'Don’t Jail Doctors Blog Campaign'.

Calling all doctor and student bloggers and anyone who can help. The Government has begun to arrest and jail doctors on a technicality - not registering their clinic with the PHFSA. This act treats doctors like common criminals. These are community doctors who have not committed a serious crime but instead face an incredibly harsh sentence for their technical lapse. Dr Basmullah Yusof, a family practitioner, is the first victim of this legislation. He was sentenced despite not having legal counsel representing him, despite pleading for leniency (he had wanted to sell the clinic anyway and is in financial trouble) and as he could not pay the hefty RM 120,000 fine, he is now in Kajang prison.

You can read more about it in
The 1st clinic doctor convicted under the PHFSA
and
The 1st clinic doctor convicted under the PHFSA (II)

The ex-Health Minister had promised that the Act would be used only against Bogus doctors and Bogus clinics. Yet, we see that legitimate licensed APC holding medical practitioners are now being targeted.


counter create hit