Insurance for doctors: SMC replies

We thank Mr Rajasegaran Ramasamy (Make it mandatory for docs to be insured; June 21) and Mr Francis Cheng (Doctors can take steps to lessen risk of lawsuits; June 25) for their feedback.

As rightly noted in the media reports (Insurance for doctors here not required by law, June 19; Protecting patients and doctors alike, June 29), all doctors who are in clinical practice in public-sector healthcare institutions are insured against malpractice claims.

The majority of doctors in private practice are also insured against malpractice claims.

We advise all doctors to maintain proper insurance coverage, and ensure that the scope of their coverage includes the type of procedures and practices they perform.

The Singapore Medical Council is aware of the feedback and patients' concerns, and is working with the Ministry of Health to study further the proposal of mandating insurance for doctors.

Cheryl Loh (Ms)

Deputy Head Corporate Communications

Singapore Medical Council

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 03, 2017, with the headline Insurance for doctors: SMC replies. Subscribe