Singapore — A doctor who indecently exposed his private parts to a woman passenger on a bus has been suspended from practice for a given period.
Singaporean doctor of more than 23 years, Azman Osman, was barred from his practice for four months after the incident.
He will also be censured and required to submit a written undertaking to the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) that he will not repeat his behaviour.
A disciplinary tribunal appointed by the SMC released the grounds of decision on Tuesday (Jul 13) with details of the incident.
On Jul 18, 2017, Azman was convicted after trial on one charge of insulting the modesty of a woman by unzipping his pants and exposing his underwear and groin.
The incident is reported to have happened while onboard an SBS bus on Jul 10, 2016. The victim was a 56-year-old female passenger.
The behaviour is an offence punishable under section 509 of the Penal Code (Cap. 224).
Azman was sentenced to two weeks imprisonment, which he did not appeal against.
On Jan 18, 2018, the SMC informed Azman that he had been convicted of “an offence in Singapore implying a defect in character which made him unfit to practice medicine.”
SMC also informed him that the matter was referred to a disciplinary tribunal.
During the Pre-Inquiry Conference held on Aug 29, 2018, Azman said he did not agree to the charge brought by the SMC and expressed intent to raise issues concerning matters which arose before his trial in the State Courts.
The disciplinary tribunal revealed that Azman had thought the victim to be a prostitute.
He felt “provoked” by her attire, as she was wearing a pair of shorts so revealing that she had exposed her underwear while sitting and facing him on the bus.
In response to the perceived provocation, Azman exposed his underwear to the woman.
Despite being offered a choice of a warning by a police officer after his behaviour, Azman escalated matters by claiming trial.
The disciplinary tribunal noted that Azman’s reasoning for exposing himself to the victim was “bizarre.”
He may “continue with similar reasoning” when attending to his patients, the tribunal added.
The matter was raised to a health committee to determine if Azman was fit to practice as a doctor or was possibly impaired by a medical condition.
The health committee concluded in Jul 2020 that Azman was not impaired by his mental condition, after observing he was able to “explain his behaviour in a rational and cogent manner”.
“Even though [Azman] held very strong religious views which may have affected the way he reacted, these values would not impair his ability to practise as a medical practitioner or to deal with his patients in an appropriate manner,” the committee noted.
SMC lawyers demanded Azman be suspended for six to nine months and to practice under supervision.
They also argued for his female patients to be accompanied by a chaperone unless during an emergency.
His actions towards the victim was a “deliberate and calculated move, not a momentary lapse of judgment,” said the lawyers.
They added that Azman had “brazenly refused” to zip up his pants despite being asked to do so by the woman and bus captain.
He had also attempted to portray himself as the victim by claiming that the woman’s attire had provoked him.
Meanwhile, Azman’s lawyer argued that there was no actual harm caused to the victim, nor did the offence undermine public confidence in the medical profession.
Azman’s actions were a “one-off offence” amid a “long unblemished track record,” said his lawyer, Noor Mohamed Marican.
“We agreed with the SMC that [Azman’s] behaviour which led to the commission of the offence as well as the manner in which he had contested the criminal charge were incompatible with the standards of moral integrity expected from members of the medical profession,” said the disciplinary tribunal in its decision.
It took into account Azman’s seniority in the medical profession and ruled that a four-month suspension would be “appropriate to reflect the gravity of the misconduct and to uphold the reputation of and confidence in the medical profession.” /TISG
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