SINGAPORE — A 33-year-old doctor who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a patient while the latter was upright instead of in a supine position had his suspension period reduced by the Court of Three Judges on Monday (Aug 7).

The patient died a week later after he was taken to the hospital. 

The court on Monday dismissed Ho Tze Woon’s appeal against his conviction of failing to provide a reasonable quality of professional services. However, they gave him a lighter sentence — a three months suspension instead of nine months.

The judges — Justices Tay Yong Kwang, Steven Chong and Judith Prakash — said that they would provide their reasons for the decision at a later date.

The Court of Three Judges, part of the Supreme Court, is the highest disciplinary body for the medical profession and has the power to fine, suspend or disbar doctors.

WHAT HAPPENED 

On Jan 14 in 2017 at around 8.05pm, Ho was on duty as a locum — or stand-in — doctor at the Central 24-Hr Clinic in Yishun. 

The patient, who had a history of severe asthma, arrived at the clinic complaining of breathlessness.

Ho assessed that the patient was having an asthma attack and the clinic staff then took him to a treatment area, court documents stated. 

Ho asked a clinic assistant to administer medication via a nebuliser, which is a piece of medical equipment that helps to change medication from a liquid to a mist for ease of inhalation. 

The patient was seated in a chair during the treatment. 

However, during the course of the treatment, the patient suffered a cardiac arrest and lost consciousness. 

Ho then began performing CPR on the patient but did so while the patient was in a seated position on the chair. 

At around 8.22pm, Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedics arrived and placed him to the floor before continuing CPR on him.

The patient was then taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital but died a week later. 

A disciplinary tribunal had earlier found Ho guilty of the charge and ordered that he be suspended for nine months. 

The Singapore Medical Council had argued that Ho should have repositioned the patient from a seated position to a supine position before performing CPR. 

His failure to do so constituted a failure to meet the minimum standards of acceptable care, they had said. 

However, Ho's lawyer, Mr Amos Cai of Yuen Law LLC, argued on Monday that the patient and Ho were in a "small and narrow" treatment room and not a "typical" accident and emergency room. 

He added that Ho is a "young doctor of seven years" who at the time of the incident was faced with many questions. 

Thus, it is "very reasonable" for Ho to do what he did because the space was small and it was chaotic, he said. 

Singapore Medical Council's lawyer, Mr Chia Voon Jiet of Drew and Napier LLC, countered that Ho should have carried out what he was trained to do even though it was an emergency. 

A lack of expertise would make the situaton more stressful but Ho had undergone a basic cardiac life support course, which teaches one how to react instinctively, said Mr Chia.

He added that Ho also had previous experience working in the accident and emergency department of a hospital. 

"The fact that this is an emergency does not excuse Dr Ho from doing what he was trained to do," said Mr Chia. 

This is not the first time Ho is being suspended. 

In 2021, he was suspended for five months and fined S$2,000 for trying to sell an erectile dysfunction drug to a non-patient.

He did this several months after being fired by the National Healthcare Group for downloading and storing obscene material in Choa Chu Kang Polyclinic computers from 2014 to 2016.