7/02/2013

What is wrong with the $24m Susan Lim charged?


The Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Singapore Medical Council for convicting Susan Lim on professional misconduct, ie over charging her client. Her bill was $24m for half a year’s special care and attention for her royalty client.

Now for the reasons why the three Judges decided that they should go along with the SMC. I quote, ‘the court opined that a doctor has an ethical obligation not to take advantage of his or her patient, whether monetarily or otherwise…In the circumstances, excessive overcharging would be a breach of this ethical obligation,…A doctor’s ethical obligation to charge a fair and reasonable fee for services rendered is not superceded by a valid agreement between the doctor and his or her patient…in the context of disciplinary proceedings against a medical practititioner, ethical obligations are not only procedural but also substantive in nature.’

The whole basis of the Judges’ argument is based on two words, ‘ethical obligation’. Is there any other profession where ethical obligation is just as important and immoral for the profession to violate? I think in sports, the sportsperson can actually demand any amount he wants as long as there are willing buyers to pay for it. Ethical obligation is not an issue like in football, golf or boxing. The sportsman can make tens or hundreds of millions over an hour or a few hours of play time.

I can’t think of any other fields where ethical obligation should be an important consideration and will be upheld by the courts of law. Otherwise many who are pocketing millions should be in court and be put behind bars. But no actually. I don’t think anyone will be put behind bars for just a breach of ethical obligation. Maybe suspended from the profession like suspending a driver from driving, or a fine could be added in.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

She is just a very greedy woman who thinks everyone is as stupid as her clients. There are at least 300 specialist who had do what she does and even better - they dont even charge one thousand of what she bills.

People like Susan should be a mama-san to service lorry drivers it's a waste for her to languish in the medical profession, that certainly suffers because her money and gold digging ilk.

If she wants to sue for this entry - go ahead. But people like these would do well to share their bullshit life existence by giving closed door speeches in the school of Rajaratnam

Anonymous said...

If I am not mistaken, there was a complaint by the client about the charges.

I think that was what started off the whole thing.

So must complain, complain and complain, including complain thru RB blog.

Anonymous said...

i support the judges decision. if not wait i go clinic downstairs, see doctor for fever and mc, then take my medicine from the clinic assistant and get billed for whatever amounts the doctor likes. from now onwards any doctor charge me or my family too much, i'll tell them, "you want to be susan, huh?"

Anonymous said...

putting aside the ethical obligations of those in politics - and just about everything else - which are all being ignored these days, one has to wonder how ethical are some of the suggestions for tests and treatments made by doctors.

these days, these things are pretty costly - there was an easy 20% hike (at least) in prices in public hospitals round about oct 2012 - and often offer little in the way of insights, or help in dealing with disease. would it not be ethical for doctors to explain to patients how much help these tests etc would be?

must patients cross-examine doctors about these things, just as investors are expected to cross-examine bankers and such about financial products? or is it buyer beware here too?

Anonymous said...

Actually, in life value is a matter of perception and even deception .......

Many uncles willing part their partial retirement cpf egg nest to sweet talking and gorgeous PRC mei mei .......

Our surgeon certainly has the gorgeous look and magnetism especially in her younger days ....... willing buyer willing seller.

Besides physically cured, perhaps some uncles are also mentally and emotionally healed ....... COMBO DEAL 3-IN-1 just being medically treated by her. Perceived value and emotional well being. Some things are perceived value. To some, this may not a white or black situation but a grey area ...... of course not questioning the judgement but just an opinion about such scenarios ........

For our gorgeous surgeon, she is the rare occurrence where beauty and brain coincide in one entity .......

Life is never fair lah .......

Of course, if hv liver problem, don't mind being treated by her cos got gorgeous and sweet surgeon why not but don't charge $24 million lah, mb cover cost plus marginal profit can liao lah ........

Oh no, kanna smitten by a mature but gorgeous, sweet and brainy surgeon ........ siao! Ouch ouch ouch little ear kanna twisted by u know who lah ....... help!

Anonymous said...

For the medical profession to be ethical, they should implement a 'no cure no pay' policy else they can only charged a minimum amount. This professionals are far from being ethical in the first place so are other professional such as law and banking that profits from people suffering.

Anonymous said...

That's why my advice to young people deciding potential career path is to ask themselves whether subconsciously they are also seeking attainment of wealth and huge material well being in life.

If answer is yes, then better not get into medicine bcos some where down the line, they stand high chance to be on the wrong side of ethical/ moral judgement.

Conversely, if now I anyhow draw nonsense on a canvass and claim it is an abstract master piece to be hung in the hall of a huge bungalow and some willing buyer willingly pay $30 million for it, then there probably does not exist any breach of ethical obligation or otherwise, tio bo?

oldhorse42 said...

I see no wrong in Susan Lim charging Royalty that kind of fees, which is peanut to them. These Royal clients demand royal service and should be charged royally for that level of service. Was any law or guidelines been breached?Our G harnged Suan Lim out to dry to please some royalties from Brunei. If you and I were to complain of any excessive charge from a prominent surgeon, would your complaint be heard?
Was Susan Lim removed from Medical Register? No she was not. The reason given was that she was an excellent surgeon.
Does any one know how much our Govt paid for specialists treament of our leaders in USA?

Anonymous said...

There is no right or wrong. Only the pot calling the kettle black. The fittest and most powerful will survive. She should have acquired americunt citizenship, paid tax to americunt government and get them to press charges against the royal family.

Anonymous said...

Redbean
my MP is one of the highest paid politician in the world.

If I think his salary is too high, will the Singapore courts entertain my lawsuit under the grounds of "ethical obligation"?

The said...

/// Anonymous said...
If I am not mistaken, there was a complaint by the client about the charges. ///

The Brunei Health Ministry complained to the Singapore Health Ministry.

The said...

Shouldn't there be an ethical limit to ministers' salaries?

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Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Anon 6:18,

You got a point there. If ethical obligation is such a powerful concept that can supercede a written contractual agreement, I think the public can make an appeal to the courts on the salary of politicians that they think is too high on this ground.

Ya?

Anonymous said...

Why is TH always using sinkies monies to invest in overseas ventures? It used to be TH to invest in local and GIC in overseas ventures. Why should we pay into a local fund when the money is used for developing overseas ventures?

Anonymous said...

Oldhorse42 is spot on. taxpayers have a right to know the cost for Singapore VVIPs medical treatment in the States. If ministers here can pay themselves so much because they rate themselves as the best in the world, anyone can charge what they want. Can taxpayers say NO to the ministers salary?
Anyway look at the lawyers especially . They clock every minute they talk to u ; that's ok, but the out of this world charges ! Just check on the crazy price tag for anything they do.
Are the CEOs of listed companies worth what they are paid ? S'Tel, KeppelCorp, SPH, banks ,etc .... Salaries, bonuses, share options. No problem for them to buy $24m shophouses.
moral values cascade down from the top .....Govt/ Ministers ? So blame who ?

Anonymous said...

@ anon 9.55pm

So you implying got double standard, yee zit......?

No double standard lah ....... up there do things you no need worry at all, can rip ( rest in peace ) lor ......

Just mb have triple, quadruple standard only mah! Salah meh?

Pple got mandate leh! Also up there about half century liao .......

Talk so much also no use .......

So pls "get out of their elite faces" ok?

Best oppo also say they themselves "cmi" cos not ready ......

So L..L.. be stucked for another 50 years ok! Tio bo? What can u do? U tell me lah? Another HLP protest? Khaw peh khaw bu nia mah! So after that following monday still L..L.. go bk work rt?

Best oppo already say they "cmi" next election also not ready so wait long long lor, tio bo?

Anonymous said...


"Ethical Obligation". This epithet by the appeal judges make me laugh and definitely make the public more angry. The people have been complaining for a long time about the astronomical sinful salaries that Pappie ministers pay themselves quietly and secretly without the people's approval. Did any of the high court judge or appeal judge brooch the subject and warn the greedy ministers that they have an 'ethical obligation' to the people and the city state not to pay themselves such obscene salaries because it has a direct cause on inflation and affects the people's livelihood. I suppose the thousands of senior civil servants are also paid incredibly high salaries and so they have no 'ethical obligation ' to air about the ministers' high salaries. But at least they should have a 'social obligation' to see that the government is just and fair to the by and large general public . Look at how the government play on the COEs to rake in billions annually. Look at how the Pappie government indiscriminately putting up ERP gantries all over the island so that even school children have been known to be saying "every day rob people" to rake in further billions of dollars. All these and other unjust ways of collecting revenue have a direct inflationary effect and adversely affect the people's livelihood. The government and its ministers have an "ethical obligation" to the people to stop paying themselves immoral salaries and to stop collecting unjust taxes direct or indirect because they have serious inflationary effect and thus affect badly the standard of living especially that of the poor and the middle class. "Ethical Obligation"! What high sounding Hypocrisy.

Eagles Eyes

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

This is a case of stat board meddling, in order to "preserve" the Singapore brandname for medical excellence and professionalism.

They simply sacrificed one, so that Singapore's reputation as a regional and international medical center is well maintained.

And of course the courts will uphold a stat board's decision. The stat board hands out the medical licenses, so they can do whatever is necessary to "enforce standards".

Personally, I think anyone in private enterprise can charge whatever they like for their services, as long as the other party accepts or rejects voluntarily. I think the stat board overstepped their roles, but they are the government so they can do as they feel fit, for any reason.

Dun pray pray...stat boards very powerful.

Anonymous said...

""What is wrong with the $24m Susan Lim charged?""

there is nothing wrong with susan lim charging $24m but there is something wrong if she is not from a $2 PAP company charging extraordinary millions like in AIMgate.

Redbean and the naives,
does that answer your question ?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I really have to agree with you.