A 61-year-old Indian-origin doctor has been suspended from medical practice for three years by a Singaporean disciplinary tribunal. The doctor, Dr Maninder Singh Shahi, had been improperly prescribing long-term sedatives to his patients, as reported by Channel News Asia.
Dr Shahi, a family doctor with 35 years of experience, was found to have prescribed sedative medicines to seven of his patients, three of whom were elderly, from his clinic for over a decade. The tribunal accepted the Singapore Medical Council’s submissions for the suspension after Dr Shahi pleaded guilty to 14 charges of professional misconduct.
The charges included inappropriately prescribing benzodiazepines, zopiclone, or zolpidem, failing to refer patients to a psychiatrist or medical specialist in a timely manner, and failing to maintain sufficient details in patients’ medical records. Dr. Shahi prescribed these medications to the affected patients for periods ranging from seven years to 13 years and eight months.
The tribunal highlighted that the long-term prescriptions created dependence and tolerance among the patients, exposing them to potential harm. The Singapore Medical Council argued that Dr Shahi’s actions posed a substantial risk to his patients.
In his mitigation, Dr Shahi claimed that he was not driven by profit but genuinely wanted to help his patients. He also mentioned that he had attempted to refer three patients to a psychiatrist, but they were unwilling to do so. Dr. Shahi acknowledged that his clinic was extremely busy, with him seeing 40 to 70 patients daily for many years.
As a result of the suspension, Dr. Shahi has handed over primary care of the clinic to his daughter and now only sees patients in the evenings.
Dr Shahi, a family doctor with 35 years of experience, was found to have prescribed sedative medicines to seven of his patients, three of whom were elderly, from his clinic for over a decade. The tribunal accepted the Singapore Medical Council’s submissions for the suspension after Dr Shahi pleaded guilty to 14 charges of professional misconduct.
The charges included inappropriately prescribing benzodiazepines, zopiclone, or zolpidem, failing to refer patients to a psychiatrist or medical specialist in a timely manner, and failing to maintain sufficient details in patients’ medical records. Dr. Shahi prescribed these medications to the affected patients for periods ranging from seven years to 13 years and eight months.
The tribunal highlighted that the long-term prescriptions created dependence and tolerance among the patients, exposing them to potential harm. The Singapore Medical Council argued that Dr Shahi’s actions posed a substantial risk to his patients.
In his mitigation, Dr Shahi claimed that he was not driven by profit but genuinely wanted to help his patients. He also mentioned that he had attempted to refer three patients to a psychiatrist, but they were unwilling to do so. Dr. Shahi acknowledged that his clinic was extremely busy, with him seeing 40 to 70 patients daily for many years.
As a result of the suspension, Dr. Shahi has handed over primary care of the clinic to his daughter and now only sees patients in the evenings.