Benjamin Millar
Two Maidstone doctors have been suspended from practise after concerns were raised about the pair providing fake COVID-19 vaccination exemptions.
Ashley Street Medical Centre general practitioners, Dr Michael Keng Sin Lee and Dr Yee Wah Eva Wong, have been banned from practise in Australia after having their registrations suspended in the wake of investigations that followed reports of large crowds gathering outside the clinic late last month that had to be dispersed by police.
Both doctors were experienced GPs, first registered in 1981.
Star Weekly has made repeated attempts to contact the doctors for comment.
Victoria has now tightened rules around obtaining vaccination exemptions following reports that GPs were being abused and pressured into providing them to patients who lacked a valid cause for exemption, which can only be issued on specific medical grounds.
A spokeswoman for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the Medical Board of Australia said consequences of providing an exemption when it is not warranted could be significant.
“If a notification is made to us that a practitioner is providing exemptions in circumstances other than those described in the ATAGI advice, we will investigate,” she said.
“We will consider each case on its individual facts, but an investigation could lead to restrictions on a practitioner’s registration.
“This could affect their ability to continue to provide exemptions, to manage patients in relation to COVID-19, or where there is significant continuing risk or it is in the public interest, could result in a suspension of registration.”
The spokeswoman said that public protection remains their number one priority.
“Our message is clear: we believe vaccination is a crucial part of the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
“The Medical Board Code of conduct requires practitioners to be honest and not misleading when writing reports or certificates, and only signing documents that they believe to be accurate, and taking reasonable steps to verify the content before signing a report or certificate, and not omitting relevant information deliberately.”
Anyone with concerns about the behaviour of registered health practitioners can inform Ahpra online or by calling 1300 419 495.
