Singapore legislation
Section 58
Section 58
Unfitness to practise through illness, etc.
(1)
Where a Health Committee determines that a registered medical practitioner’s fitness to practise is impaired by reason of his physical or mental condition, the Health Committee may exercise one or more of the following powers:
by order suspend his registration in the appropriate register for such period not exceeding 12 months as may be specified in the order;
where the registered medical practitioner is a fully registered medical practitioner in Part I of the Register of Medical Practitioners, by order remove his name from Part I of that Register and register him instead as a medical practitioner with conditional registration in Part II of that Register, and section 21(4) and (6) to (9) shall apply accordingly;
where the registered medical practitioner is registered in any register other than Part I of the Register of Medical Practitioners, by order impose appropriate conditions or restrictions on his registration;
recommend to the Medical Council that the name of the registered medical practitioner be removed from the appropriate register;
order that he pays to the Medical Council costs and expenses of and incidental to any inquiry or hearing by the Health Committee and, where applicable, an Interim Orders Committee.
(2)
Where the Medical Council accepts the recommendation of the Health Committee under subsection (1)(d), the Medical Council shall by order remove the name of the registered medical practitioner from the appropriate register and that order shall take effect from the date the order is made.
(3)
Where a registered medical practitioner, in respect of whom an order under subsection (1)(b) or (c) or section 59B(1)(b) or 59D(1)(d) is made, is determined by a Health Committee to have failed to comply with any of the requirements imposed on him as conditions or restrictions of his registration, the Health Committee may, if it thinks fit, by order suspend his registration in the appropriate register for such period not exceeding 12 months as may be specified in the order.
(4)
Where a Health Committee has made an order for suspension under subsection (1)(a) or (3), the Health Committee may make an order under subsection (1)(b) or (c), to take effect from the expiry of the current period of suspension.
(5)
Where a Health Committee has made an order for suspension under subsection (1)(a) or (3) against a person and that person has failed to comply with that order, the Health Committee may, if it thinks fit —
make a recommendation referred to in subsection (1)(d) to the Medical Council, and subsection (2) shall apply accordingly; or
make an order under subsection (1)(b) or (c), to take effect from the expiry of the current period of suspension.
(6)
Where a Health Committee has made an order under subsection (1)(b) or (c), the Health Committee or another Health Committee appointed in its place may, on its own motion or on the application of the Medical Council or the registered medical practitioner, revoke the order or revoke or vary any of the conditions or restrictions imposed by the order.
(7)
No application under subsection (6) shall be made in respect of the same registered medical practitioner more than once in any period of 12 months.
(8)
Subsection (3) shall apply to a registered medical practitioner whose registration is subject to conditions or restrictions imposed by an order made under subsection (4) or (5)(b) as it applies to a registered medical practitioner whose registration is subject to conditions or restrictions imposed by an order made under subsection (1)(b) or (c), and subsection (5) shall apply accordingly.
(9)
Where a Health Committee has made an order (including a revocation of the order or a revocation or variation of any condition or restriction imposed by the order) under this section, the Registrar shall immediately serve on the person to whom the order applies a notice of the order or of the revocation or variation.
(10)
While a person’s registration in the register is suspended by virtue of this section, he shall be treated as not being registered in the register notwithstanding that his name still appears in it.
(11)
Sections 50(9), (10), (11) and (12)(a) and 51 shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to a Health Committee and references to a Disciplinary Tribunal shall be read as references to a Health Committee.
(12)
Any person who is aggrieved by an order (including a revocation of the order or a revocation or variation of any condition or restriction imposed by the order) made under this section may, within 30 days after the service on him of the notification of the order, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.
(13)
Any order (including a revocation of the order or a revocation or variation of any condition or restriction imposed by the order) made under this section shall take effect from the date the order, revocation or variation is made unless the Minister decides otherwise.