SINGAPORE: A doctor who submitted more than 150 fraudulent claims under a government assistance scheme was sentenced to seven months’ jail on Friday (Aug 30).
Wong Choo Wai, 53, owned two clinics, the Bedok Day & Night Clinic and Jurong Day & Night Clinic.
The false claims were made in 2015 and 2016 under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), which enables Singaporeans to receive medical and dental subsidies at participating clinics.
Patients pay a subsidised rate and participating clinics would be reimbursed by the government.
Wong cheated the Ministry of Health (MOH) into disbursing CHAS subsidies amounting to more than S$11,700 (US$8,900) by submitting 157 fraudulent claims, the police said.
Patients either did not visit the clinic on the date, did not have certain complex chronic conditions or did not undergo the medical investigations as stated in the false claims.
Wong also falsified his patients’ clinical records to support the false CHAS claims.
He was convicted of two counts of cheating MOH and one count of making false entries in the clinical records of his patients. Five other cheating and falsification charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
Wong has made full restitution.
TODAY reported that in sentencing, Principal District Judge Thian Yee Sze said “general deterrence” was important to ensure “others would not be tempted to do similar acts”.
She added that despite his good character and contribution to society, Wong had taken money from a public scheme intended to benefit people.
For cheating to obtain property, Wong could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
For falsifying accounts, Wong could have been jailed for up to 10 years, or fined, or both.