Calling all doctor and student bloggers and anyone who can help. The Government has begun to arrest and jail doctors on a technicality - not registering their clinic with the PHFSA. This act treats doctors like common criminals. These are community doctors who have not committed a serious crime but instead face an incredibly harsh sentence for their technical lapse.
Dr Basmullah Yusom, a family practitioner, is the first victim of this legislation. He was sentenced despite not having legal counsel representing him, despite pleading for leniency (he had wanted to sell the clinic anyway and is in financial trouble) and as he could not pay the hefty RM 120,000 fine, he is now in Kajang prison.
You can read more about it in Malaysian Medical Resources
The 1st clinic doctor convicted under the PHFSA (I)
The 1st clinic doctor convicted under the PHFSA (II)
More background info on A Doctor in Jail
Support? What support?
Dear NST, it's not enough
The ex-Health Minister had promised that the Act would be used only against Bogus doctors and Bogus clinics. Yet, we see that legitimate licensed APC holding medical practitioners are now being targeted.
Facts about the PHFSA:
- this was implemented in 2006 without adequate prior discussion with the medical profession
- it is excessively harsh in its punitive aspects : up to 500,000 ringgit fine or jail which seems to be over the top
- it has huge potential for abuse of power
- it criminalizes doctors for “infringements” which include trivial issues like the dimensions of one’s clinic, direction in which your toilet door swings and dictates whether or not you can sweep your floor!
In support of Dr. Basmullah, we urge all of you to put up this logo in your Blogs and Websites until this travesty of justice is reversed.
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