The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) initiated an investigation on 17/3 into urologist Fong Yan Kit, 54, from Raffles Hospital. Prosecutors accuse him of negligent conduct not amounting to murder, following the death of a 63-year-old patient during surgery.

The woman presented at the hospital in April 2022 after noticing blood in her urine. She agreed to surgery for a minimally invasive procedure to remove a 7,5 cm kidney tumor, discovered during a subsequent scan.

During the surgery on 29/4/2022, Doctor Fong accidentally severed the superior mesenteric artery and the celiac artery, which supply blood to the stomach and intestines. This led to an insufficient blood supply to her abdominal organs, causing her death on 2/5/2022. Police concluded the patient died due to the medical procedure, and according to investigators, her death was entirely preventable.

A review of the surgical video by a professor from the Singapore Academy of Medicine revealed Doctor Fong's inaction. After realizing the error, he stopped, stood idle for 13 minutes, and did not call for assistance. The investigation also found Doctor Fong was dishonest in providing evidence related to the patient's death and lied about what happened during the surgery. He had three opportunities to rectify the error but did not take them.

The trial will resume in April. If convicted of causing death by negligent act, Doctor Fong could face a prison sentence of up to two years, a fine, or both.

Independent of the court's outcome, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) investigation will review professional misconduct in this incident. This includes assessing such as: whether Doctor Fong lacked professional competence, violated medical ethics, concealed information, or made false declarations. If the SMC concludes misconduct, the doctor could face a reprimand, a fine, suspension from practice, or even license revocation.

Currently, Doctor Fong's name has been removed from Raffles Hospital's website.

By Hai Thu (According to Straitstimes)