SHE SAID: He wanted to 'go steady' with me
HE SAID: I never dated or tried to date her
By Salma Khalik , HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
THE doctor who heads the Singapore Medical Council's second disciplinary committee that is supposed to hear a case against surgeon Susan Lim has denied ever trying to woo her.
Professor Tan Ser Kiat said that he had merely been to her home 30 years ago for a party which was also attended by others, and he had 'never dated nor tried to date' her after that 'ordinary social occasion'.
There was also no awkwardness between them since, either socially or as fellow medical professionals, said Prof Tan, chief executive of the SingHealth Group.
In a letter to Dr Lim's lawyers dated Feb 17 this year, he said that there had been other 'fundamental factual inaccuracies' in the lawyers' remarks about her dealings with him.
He added that he had no interest in the disciplinary proceedings against her, other than ensuring that he discharged his role of chairman fairly and in accordance with the law.
Dr Lim has sought a judicial review of the SMC's case against her, and High Court Judge Philip Pillai reserved judgment on Monday.
The matter concerns a $24.8 million bill she charged for tending to Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit, the sister of Brunei's queen, between January and July 2007. The patient died in August.
Following inquiries by Brunei's Health Ministry about the size of the bill, the Singapore Health Ministry filed a complaint to the SMC, which set up a disciplinary committee to hear the matter last year.
The hearing stopped after Dr Lim's lawyers accused the committee of pre-judging the case. The SMC then set up a second committee to hear the case, headed by Prof Tan.
She objected to his appointment in a sworn document dated Feb 14, which has been submitted to the courts, claiming it would lead to conflicts of interest that may taint or appear to taint proceedings.
Among other things, her lawyers claimed that around 1980 and 1982, Prof Tan had been 'an admirer' of Dr Lim's and expressed interest in her while she was a junior doctor at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
He allegedly met her and her parents at their family home and sent flowers in advance of his visit. There, he danced with Dr Lim 'late into the night' in the presence of her mother.
He then allegedly invited Dr Lim out on a dinner date and asked if they could 'go steady', but Dr Lim said she was not interested as she felt they were incompatible. Dr Lim's lawyers alleged that the rejection abruptly ended their friendship, and interaction between the two of them had been awkward since.
Yesterday, WongPartnership, the law firm acting for the SMC, gave The Straits Times a copy of Prof Tan's reply to Dr Lim's lawyers, which has also been submitted to the High Court.
In his letter, Prof Tan said that what was said about him wooing her was 'not true'.
He said he only knew Dr Lim 'casually as a fellow doctor' working at SGH in the early 1980s.
He wrote: 'On one occasion, your client invited me, together with a number of other doctors from the public and private sector, to her home for a large party - possibly a birthday celebration.
'This was nothing more than an ordinary social occasion. I have never dated nor tried to date your client, whether before or after this social occasion.'
He said there has never been any awkwardness since. 'We continue to meet on social occasions once or twice a year. We have always interacted with each other without awkwardness as fellow medical professionals.'
He also addressed other areas of possible conflict that Dr Lim's lawyers raised.
They had said that both doctors had competed for the same unit at Gleneagles Hospital in 1997, which she later obtained.
Prof Tan said he had first call on the unit, but had given it up because he decided not to go into private practice. 'Having changed my mind about leaving the public sector, I had no need for the unit. I spoke to your client and we agreed that she should have it. It was entirely amicable. I harbour no resentment.'
Her lawyers had also argued that as the Singapore Health Ministry is the complainant against Dr Lim, there is conflict as Prof Tan's position as head of a public health-care cluster means he answers to the ministry.
'That is not true,' he said. 'I do not answer to the ministry. I answer to the chairman of the board of Singapore Health Pte Ltd. I am not a member of the staff of the ministry. I am not employed by the ministry in any other capacity. I do not participate in any decision-making by the ministry.'
He added that although he was a director of Ministry of Health Holdings Pte Ltd, that had to do only with policy decisions regarding the running of restructured hospitals.
He also dismissed the contention that he would be biased against her on the grounds that SGH, which is under his purview, had provided Brunei's Ministry of Health with consultancy services between October 2006 and July 2008.
Dr Lim's lawyers had also objected to Prof Tan's position as a council member of the SMC. This means he was part of the group of people that received an e-mail asking if they had objections to revoking the first disciplinary committee and to setting up a new one to continue the hearing against her.
Prof Tan's reply: 'That e-mail was sent to all members of the SMC. I did not participate in any way in the decision to continue disciplinary proceedings against your client.'
In court on Monday, Senior Counsel Alvin Yeo, for the SMC, described Dr Lim's claims as a 'flimsy attempt' to suggest bias on the part of a member of the second disciplinary committee (DC).
He said: 'Dr Lim has belatedly sought to raise ridiculous assertions of some purported personal or professional conflict of interest against the chairman of the second DC. The chairman of the second DC has addressed these assertions in full.'
[email protected]
HE SAID: I never dated or tried to date her
By Salma Khalik , HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
THE doctor who heads the Singapore Medical Council's second disciplinary committee that is supposed to hear a case against surgeon Susan Lim has denied ever trying to woo her.
Professor Tan Ser Kiat said that he had merely been to her home 30 years ago for a party which was also attended by others, and he had 'never dated nor tried to date' her after that 'ordinary social occasion'.
There was also no awkwardness between them since, either socially or as fellow medical professionals, said Prof Tan, chief executive of the SingHealth Group.
In a letter to Dr Lim's lawyers dated Feb 17 this year, he said that there had been other 'fundamental factual inaccuracies' in the lawyers' remarks about her dealings with him.
He added that he had no interest in the disciplinary proceedings against her, other than ensuring that he discharged his role of chairman fairly and in accordance with the law.
Dr Lim has sought a judicial review of the SMC's case against her, and High Court Judge Philip Pillai reserved judgment on Monday.
The matter concerns a $24.8 million bill she charged for tending to Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit, the sister of Brunei's queen, between January and July 2007. The patient died in August.
Following inquiries by Brunei's Health Ministry about the size of the bill, the Singapore Health Ministry filed a complaint to the SMC, which set up a disciplinary committee to hear the matter last year.
The hearing stopped after Dr Lim's lawyers accused the committee of pre-judging the case. The SMC then set up a second committee to hear the case, headed by Prof Tan.
She objected to his appointment in a sworn document dated Feb 14, which has been submitted to the courts, claiming it would lead to conflicts of interest that may taint or appear to taint proceedings.
Among other things, her lawyers claimed that around 1980 and 1982, Prof Tan had been 'an admirer' of Dr Lim's and expressed interest in her while she was a junior doctor at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
He allegedly met her and her parents at their family home and sent flowers in advance of his visit. There, he danced with Dr Lim 'late into the night' in the presence of her mother.
He then allegedly invited Dr Lim out on a dinner date and asked if they could 'go steady', but Dr Lim said she was not interested as she felt they were incompatible. Dr Lim's lawyers alleged that the rejection abruptly ended their friendship, and interaction between the two of them had been awkward since.
Yesterday, WongPartnership, the law firm acting for the SMC, gave The Straits Times a copy of Prof Tan's reply to Dr Lim's lawyers, which has also been submitted to the High Court.
In his letter, Prof Tan said that what was said about him wooing her was 'not true'.
He said he only knew Dr Lim 'casually as a fellow doctor' working at SGH in the early 1980s.
He wrote: 'On one occasion, your client invited me, together with a number of other doctors from the public and private sector, to her home for a large party - possibly a birthday celebration.
'This was nothing more than an ordinary social occasion. I have never dated nor tried to date your client, whether before or after this social occasion.'
He said there has never been any awkwardness since. 'We continue to meet on social occasions once or twice a year. We have always interacted with each other without awkwardness as fellow medical professionals.'
He also addressed other areas of possible conflict that Dr Lim's lawyers raised.
They had said that both doctors had competed for the same unit at Gleneagles Hospital in 1997, which she later obtained.
Prof Tan said he had first call on the unit, but had given it up because he decided not to go into private practice. 'Having changed my mind about leaving the public sector, I had no need for the unit. I spoke to your client and we agreed that she should have it. It was entirely amicable. I harbour no resentment.'
Her lawyers had also argued that as the Singapore Health Ministry is the complainant against Dr Lim, there is conflict as Prof Tan's position as head of a public health-care cluster means he answers to the ministry.
'That is not true,' he said. 'I do not answer to the ministry. I answer to the chairman of the board of Singapore Health Pte Ltd. I am not a member of the staff of the ministry. I am not employed by the ministry in any other capacity. I do not participate in any decision-making by the ministry.'
He added that although he was a director of Ministry of Health Holdings Pte Ltd, that had to do only with policy decisions regarding the running of restructured hospitals.
He also dismissed the contention that he would be biased against her on the grounds that SGH, which is under his purview, had provided Brunei's Ministry of Health with consultancy services between October 2006 and July 2008.
Dr Lim's lawyers had also objected to Prof Tan's position as a council member of the SMC. This means he was part of the group of people that received an e-mail asking if they had objections to revoking the first disciplinary committee and to setting up a new one to continue the hearing against her.
Prof Tan's reply: 'That e-mail was sent to all members of the SMC. I did not participate in any way in the decision to continue disciplinary proceedings against your client.'
In court on Monday, Senior Counsel Alvin Yeo, for the SMC, described Dr Lim's claims as a 'flimsy attempt' to suggest bias on the part of a member of the second disciplinary committee (DC).
He said: 'Dr Lim has belatedly sought to raise ridiculous assertions of some purported personal or professional conflict of interest against the chairman of the second DC. The chairman of the second DC has addressed these assertions in full.'
[email protected]
