SINGAPORE — The day before she was supposed to undergo surgery for early-stage breast and lung cancers in Nov 2014, a woman went to see traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner Chua Beng Chye.

He presented her with three options, one of which was to delay surgery for three months to undergo TCM treatment.

The 66-year-old patient chose that option and would have compromised her chances of recovering from the cancers, if not for her son’s intervention.

Mr Chua, who practised at World of TCM Medicare on Geylang Road, has been suspended for a maximum of three years beginning Aug 7 and fined S$10,000 for serious professional misconduct.

In a statement on Monday (Sept 24), the TCM Practitioners Board said that Mr Chua failed to act within the limits of his competence and breached the duty of care owed to the patient.

The investigation committee that looked into the complaint — filed by the patient’s son — found that Mr Chua failed to adequately assess the woman’s condition and wrongly informed her that it was inconclusive as to whether her lung tumour was cancerous.

He misread and incorrectly interpreted reports issued by the National Cancer Centre Singapore. During his second consultation with the patient, he even alleged that undergoing surgery could cause her cancer cells to proliferate even faster.

His proposed treatment comprised 50 capsules of powdered 15-year-old ginseng and 24 varieties of powdered herbs to be consumed for three months. This was “not an appropriate and generally accepted method of TCM treatment”, said the board.

He exploited the woman’s vulnerability and lacked concern for her welfare, the board said. “Mr Chua was neither remorseful for his conduct nor fully aware of the danger that he posed to the patient,” it said.

The patient’s son intervened and she underwent surgery a few days later than originally scheduled, on Nov 8 in 2014.

The son complained that his mother — who was diagnosed by Western doctors in October 2014 —  was misled by Mr Chua into believing she could avoid or delay surgery by relying on TCM treatment alone.

The latest decision comes after Mr Chua challenged the findings of the previous investigation committee and got the High Court to order a new inquiry. He had told the court that he was not given a fair hearing before the previous five-member committee convened by the TCM Practitioners Board, saying that one of the committee members had prejudged the matter.

On Monday, the board advised TCM practitioners not to depart from accepted standards of practice and only recommend what is in the best interest of their patients.

In a separate case, the board announced that it had cancelled Mr Goh Seng Ngei’s registration as an acupuncturist from Aug 7 this year.

Mr Goh practised at The World Medical Hall at Selegie House on Selegie Road, and was the subject of three separate complaints lodged in mid-2017.

The complaints alleged that Mr Goh had been charged with operating an unlicensed massage establishment and fined in 2014 and 2017. He had also made false or fraudulent delclarations in his application to renew his acupuncturist practising certificate in 2015 and last year.

The investigation committee for his case found that he had breached the ethical code for TCM pracitioners. His convictions implied a defect in character that rendered him unfit to remain registered, said the board.

Registered TCM practitioners should not operate or associate themselves with unlicensed massage establishments, the board warned.