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SCMP Reporter

A retired doctor has been struck off the Medical Council's general register for 18 months after he issued misleading sick-leave certificates to a bus driver.

Wong Shing-chung, 67, pleaded guilty to misconduct yesterday.

His offences included 15 charges of producing  sick-leave certificates for a Citybus driver, Lam Kai-hung, from January to August 2002 that were untrue.

Wong was also accused of failing to maintain adequate medical records for the patient.

The council heard that Wong issued the sick-leave certificates in response to telephone requests, for which he received $2,650.

In four instances, the council heard that Wong had given out the certificates even though he knew  his patient was not suffering from low-back pain as claimed.

Wong was absent from yesterday's hearing but was represented by lawyer Jal Karbhari.

He was suspended for  18 months  for issuing false certificates and for three months, concurrently, for failing to keep records.

It was the severest sentence handed down by the council for such offences. Council chairwoman Felice Lieh Mak  said Wong deserved a harsher punishment as he had fabricated the clinical condition of Mr Lam, which constituted 'serious abuse of trust'.

Wong's clinic in  Mongkok is no longer in service.

He was convicted in 2003 of producing false  documents in respect of the same patient, following an investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

He served three months' imprisonment but was cleared of all charges after a successful appeal.

'Wong repeatedly gave out the sick-leave notes for Lam and it showed that it was a prearranged scheme,' Professor Lieh Mak said at yesterday's hearing.

'Moreover, doctors are burdened by a serious duty when issuing sick-leave certificates. If the principle of trust [between the doctor and society] is destroyed, it will be a tremendous blow to doctors as a profession.'

Mr Karbhari said his client had no idea that Mr Lam was not unwell when he was asked to give his patient the sick-leave notes.

But Professor Lieh Mak rejected the claim that Wong was deceived by the patient, as he had admitted  issuing the certificates even though he knew the patient was not ill.



Doctor struck off over  false sick-leave notes