Bail for 2 Hong Kong doctors accused of leaking data to implicate surgeon
Medical sector lawmaker says purpose of ‘whistle-blowing’ is to uphold justice and protect public interest, not to make personal accusations
Two public hospital doctors have been granted bail after being arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of leaking a cancer patient’s medical data to highlight alleged professional shortcomings by her operating surgeon.
Observers, meanwhile, said that although the incident did not align with the principles of “whistle-blowing”, it underscored the need for a stronger “speak-up” culture within the Hospital Authority.
The 35-year-old associate consultant and the 57-year-old consultant from Tseung Kwan O Hospital were released on bail on Tuesday and are required to report to police in late September.
A source earlier said that the two suspects allegedly accessed the medical records of a female patient with pancreatic cancer who died after a surgical procedure, and advised her family on how to lodge a complaint against the operating surgeon.
Both suspects are from the hospital’s surgery department.
The patient’s medical records, along with those of others, were sent to the family to highlight the surgeon’s alleged shortcomings.
Dr David Lam Tzit-yuen, a lawmaker representing the medical and health services sector, stressed that the purpose of “whistle-blowing” was to uphold justice and protect the public interest, but not to pursue personal accusations.