KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) has removed a psychiatrist from its register due to his suspension for a year after being found guilty of sexually harassing a patient.
According to CodeBlue, MMC Disciplinary Board 4 chairwoman Prof Emerita Dr Nor Hayati Othman recommended a one-year suspension after determining that the doctor was involved in "serious professional misconduct".
The complaint was filed by a female patient five years ago, who is now 30 years old.
According to the judgment report, the doctor sent lewd messages to the female patient in June 2019, during a period when she was in a vulnerable emotional and mental state. This action violated Section 2.2.4 of the MMC Code of Professional Conduct, which prohibits personal relationships between medical practitioners and their patients.
At the time, the doctor was practising at a private hospital in Selangor and treating the woman, a rape survivor, for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a statement to CodeBlue, the MMC said that it found the psychiatrist guilty of serious professional misconduct under Section 29(2)(b) of the Medical Act 1971.
"Please be informed that the MMC has made a finding of serious professional misconduct against [the doctor] under section 29(2)(b) of the Medical Act 1971. As a result, the said practitioner has been suspended from the register under section 30(1)(c) of the Medical Act 1971 for a period of one year. The suspension takes effect from the date the punishment letter is received by the said practitioner.
However, the order will only be formally endorsed against the practitioner's name in the registry and published on the MMC website after the expiry of the 30-day period from the date of communication of the decision to the practitioner, within which the practitioner may exercise his right to appeal to the High Court under Section 31 of the Medical Act 1971," it said.
The female patient claimed that the doctor remains actively treating patients at his psychiatric clinic in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, located near her home. The doctor was acquitted by the Petaling Jaya Magistrate's Court in January 2023 of charges under Section 509 of the Penal Code for insulting the patient's modesty. Nonetheless, the MMC Disciplinary Board stated that the court's decision was irrelevant to its investigation, as the board focused on evidence within its jurisdiction.
However, according to CodeBlue, the doctor is still listed in the National Specialist Register (NSR) as of press time.