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Jail for ex-IMH staff nurse who accessed details of female patient he found attractive
Christine Tan
UPDATED JAN 24, 2025, 10:43 PM
SINGAPORE – A senior staff nurse at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) messaged a woman with her personal details that he found via the hospital’s patient system.
Muhammad Hazrul Sani did so after seeing a photograph she posted of herself at the institution on social media platform Instagram. He admitted he found her attractive and wanted to know her better.
On Jan 24, Hazrul, 34, was sentenced to one week’s jail after admitting to one offence under the Computer Misuse Act.
IMH fired him in 2023, a few months after the offence took place.
After he was fired, Hazrul messaged the patient to say she caused him to lose his job and “karma” would hit her.
Handing down the jail sentence instead of a fine that the prosecution had asked for, Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng called Hazrul’s offences a serious breach of patient privacy and noted that mental health records are considered highly sensitive.
Hazrul started working in IMH in August 2013.
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On Oct 25, 2022, he noticed the Instagram post of the 29-year-old woman going for an appointment with her psychiatrist that day.
He messaged her on the social media platform and said he knew where the photograph in her post was taken as he worked at IMH.
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The next day, he messaged her with her actual name and asked if he had identified her correctly. This surprised her as she had not revealed her real name on Instagram.
Hazrul revealed that he had checked her records on IMH’s system but claimed he had not read her patient file.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Sunil Nair said: “Not wanting to offend (Hazrul), the patient told (him) that it was okay for (him) to look at her file if he wanted to.”
Hazrul continued to message the woman over the next six days, complimenting her looks and saying he enjoyed talking to her. The woman was cordial and thanked him.
In his messages, Hazrul referred to details in her IMH records such as what she had been advised by her psychiatrist, medication and upcoming appointments.
He also talked about their respective marital statuses. DPP Nair said the woman was uncomfortable with the exchanges, but did not tell him so, as she did not want to offend him.
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On Oct 31, 2022, Hazrul reminded the woman of her upcoming psychiatric appointment and asked what time it would end, adding that he would end his morning shift around that time.
As the woman did not want to meet him and was uncomfortable with his messages, she blocked him on Instagram.
Hazrul then sent a WhatsApp message to her mobile phone number, which he found from the patient system.
He also sent her birthday wishes the next month after finding out her birthday from the system. She ignored both messages.
The matter came to light after the woman told her psychologist about Hazrul’s messages.
IMH then started investigations, which revealed that Hazrul had accessed the woman’s records on nine occasions.
IMH disabled his access to the system on Dec 27, 2022. It filed a police report on Jan 10, 2023, and fired him in March that year.
DPP Nair asked for Hazrul to be fined between $4,000 and $5,000.
The prosecutor said there was a possibility Hazrul had an impression that the woman did not regard her information as private as she acquiesced to him accessing the information and made an Instagram post about going to IMH.
Disagreeing with the prosecution, Judge Lee said psychiatric records contain intimate details about the patients, such as family history, personal relationships and life experiences.
“Mental health issues often carry societal stigma, and disclosure of such information could lead to anxiety and distress on the part of the patient,” said the judge.
Judge Lee added that such acts might affect the patient’s willingness to seek psychiatric help in the future.
In mitigation, Hazrul said he regretted his actions and confessed he “wasn’t thinking straight” because he was in a cold war with his ex-wife at the time.
He said: “I used (the woman) only for a listening ear... just to confide in her, because I had no one else to talk to.”
After he received his sentence, he asked for leniency but eventually agreed to start serving his jail term.
Jail for ex-IMH staff nurse who accessed details of female patient he found attractive
Christine Tan
UPDATED JAN 24, 2025, 10:43 PM
SINGAPORE – A senior staff nurse at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) messaged a woman with her personal details that he found via the hospital’s patient system.
Muhammad Hazrul Sani did so after seeing a photograph she posted of herself at the institution on social media platform Instagram. He admitted he found her attractive and wanted to know her better.
On Jan 24, Hazrul, 34, was sentenced to one week’s jail after admitting to one offence under the Computer Misuse Act.
IMH fired him in 2023, a few months after the offence took place.
After he was fired, Hazrul messaged the patient to say she caused him to lose his job and “karma” would hit her.
Handing down the jail sentence instead of a fine that the prosecution had asked for, Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng called Hazrul’s offences a serious breach of patient privacy and noted that mental health records are considered highly sensitive.
Hazrul started working in IMH in August 2013.
Catch up on the news that everyone’s talking about
Sign up
By signing up, I accept SPH Media's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy as amended from time to time.
Yes, I would also like to receive SPH Media Group's
SPH Media Limited, its related corporations and affiliates as well as their agents and authorised service providers.
marketing and promotions.
On Oct 25, 2022, he noticed the Instagram post of the 29-year-old woman going for an appointment with her psychiatrist that day.SPH Media Limited, its related corporations and affiliates as well as their agents and authorised service providers.
marketing and promotions.
He messaged her on the social media platform and said he knew where the photograph in her post was taken as he worked at IMH.
The next day, he messaged her with her actual name and asked if he had identified her correctly. This surprised her as she had not revealed her real name on Instagram.
Hazrul revealed that he had checked her records on IMH’s system but claimed he had not read her patient file.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Sunil Nair said: “Not wanting to offend (Hazrul), the patient told (him) that it was okay for (him) to look at her file if he wanted to.”
Hazrul continued to message the woman over the next six days, complimenting her looks and saying he enjoyed talking to her. The woman was cordial and thanked him.
In his messages, Hazrul referred to details in her IMH records such as what she had been advised by her psychiatrist, medication and upcoming appointments.
He also talked about their respective marital statuses. DPP Nair said the woman was uncomfortable with the exchanges, but did not tell him so, as she did not want to offend him.
$8k fine for ex-NTU researcher who stalked PhD student, sent him 116 e-mails Ex-bank officer fined over unlawful computer searches on her then boyfriend’s former wife
On Oct 31, 2022, Hazrul reminded the woman of her upcoming psychiatric appointment and asked what time it would end, adding that he would end his morning shift around that time.
As the woman did not want to meet him and was uncomfortable with his messages, she blocked him on Instagram.
Hazrul then sent a WhatsApp message to her mobile phone number, which he found from the patient system.
He also sent her birthday wishes the next month after finding out her birthday from the system. She ignored both messages.
The matter came to light after the woman told her psychologist about Hazrul’s messages.
IMH then started investigations, which revealed that Hazrul had accessed the woman’s records on nine occasions.
IMH disabled his access to the system on Dec 27, 2022. It filed a police report on Jan 10, 2023, and fired him in March that year.
DPP Nair asked for Hazrul to be fined between $4,000 and $5,000.
The prosecutor said there was a possibility Hazrul had an impression that the woman did not regard her information as private as she acquiesced to him accessing the information and made an Instagram post about going to IMH.
Disagreeing with the prosecution, Judge Lee said psychiatric records contain intimate details about the patients, such as family history, personal relationships and life experiences.
“Mental health issues often carry societal stigma, and disclosure of such information could lead to anxiety and distress on the part of the patient,” said the judge.
Judge Lee added that such acts might affect the patient’s willingness to seek psychiatric help in the future.
In mitigation, Hazrul said he regretted his actions and confessed he “wasn’t thinking straight” because he was in a cold war with his ex-wife at the time.
He said: “I used (the woman) only for a listening ear... just to confide in her, because I had no one else to talk to.”
After he received his sentence, he asked for leniency but eventually agreed to start serving his jail term.
