It is indeed unsettling to see a beneficial public health programme such as the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) being abused, owing to a lack of integrity and professionalism on the part of some healthcare providers ("More clinics under probe for possible cheating"; July 4).

The Ministry of Health (MOH) should have a hotline so complaints about such issues can be lodged.

Currently, any complaint made to the Singapore Medical Council or Singapore Dental Council needs a statutory declaration before an investigation is activated.

This may deter many people with genuine grievances from making a complaint, as most may find the process too troublesome.

This is especially true in these Chas cases where the "lost money" does not really belong to them.

The authorities could take a proactive approach to investigating such issues without the need for an official complaint (with a statutory declaration) to be lodged.

I believe the bulk of healthcare professionals here are doing honest work.

It is the few black sheep who are involved in unethical practices.

It is also better for the ministry to spend some money to provide checks and audits than to lose millions to fraudulent claims.

Chai Chiang Woon