MOH files police report against private ambulance operator for alleged misrepresentation
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MOH received feedback that search engine results for ambulances from at least six hospitals lead to Singapore Emergency Ambulance Services' contact number.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICES/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Health (MOH) has filed a police report against the Singapore Emergency Ambulance Services (Seas) for allegedly misrepresenting multiple public and private hospitals in its online listings.
This follows feedback that search engine results for ambulances from at least six hospitals lead to the private operator's contact number, said MOH on Monday (Feb 8).
The affected hospitals are Changi General Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Raffles Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
"As Seas is not endorsed or provided by the hospitals set out in the list above, and has no authorisation to operate any 'ambulance service bays' or 'ambulance bays' on their behalf, MOH has filed a police report in respect of Seas' misrepresentations," said MOH.
"The police are currently looking into the matter," it added. "MOH will also consider referring the issue to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore."
MOH said that it introduced the Voluntary Accreditation Scheme (VAS) in January 2018 to ensure the safety and welfare of patients by raising the capabilities and competencies of private ambulances.
To be accredited under the scheme, private ambulance operators must meet a set of requirements, which include essential documentation, equipment, medications as well as life-saving and infection control protocols. Seas is currently not part of VAS, according to MOH.
The scheme also aims to help providers prepare for the implementation of the Healthcare Services Act, which will be phased in by the end of next year.
Under the Act, private ambulance services will be licensed in the second half of this year. These services will be regulated as either an emergency ambulance service or medical transport service.
As of Monday, 30 private ambulance operators serving the public have met standards stipulated under the VAS.
Should the public need to engage private ambulance services, MOH advises them to refer to the Healthcare Institutions Directory for the list of private ambulance operators accredited under the scheme.
When contacted by The Straits Times, Seas said that "at no point in time" did the organisation or any of its employees misrepresent to the public that they represented any hospital. "We intend to and will fully cooperate with all police investigations," it added.
