MOH to add restrictions on issuing MCs after feedback on doctors giving them excessively

[kobayashiGT]

On 5/13/2024 at 10:44 AM, inlinesix said:

My longest MC is for wisdom tooth extraction.

Don't take any MC for small incident like flu.

Aye cannot. If really sick, better to stay home. If not the flu bugs will pass on to other ppl leh! hahaha. 

[Sdf4786k]

On 5/13/2024 at 12:51 PM, RadX said:

My boss alwes amazed w me, as I am supposed to be the rmore 'sickly' one with my immunocompromised state and yet, never take MC, never get Covid also...but when sick...really hospitalization one.....like my recent calciphylaxis....dr gave me 2 weeks mc..i still hobble in..kanna chase home...nbz

 

I always state 'go big or go home;...no time for in between 

dont bluff.. most likely your wife nag at u and u went to work..

[13177]

On 5/13/2024 at 12:48 PM, Maxus-MIFA9 said:

The company very heng already hor. Just take MC entitlement of 30 days...  

I know one colleague of mine not only finished MC, also include 60 days of Hospitalisation Leave hor....  

Hospitalisation Leave how to finish, must at least go do some surgery then doctor will give HL right.

[RadX]

On 5/13/2024 at 2:15 PM, Sdf4786k said:

dont bluff.. most likely your wife nag at u and u went to work..

Eh limpeh wear the pants hor😂

[inlinesix]

On 5/13/2024 at 2:10 PM, kobayashiGT said:

Aye cannot. If really sick, better to stay home. If not the flu bugs will pass on to other ppl leh! hahaha. 

wfh lo

😂

[13177]

On 5/13/2024 at 2:31 PM, inlinesix said:

wfh lo

😂

Company must have such arrangement, if not need to take MC.

[inlinesix]

On 5/13/2024 at 2:40 PM, 13177 said:

Company must have such arrangement, if not need to take MC.

Go to office to spread my Germ

😂

[Maxus-MIFA9]

On 5/13/2024 at 2:22 PM, 13177 said:

Hospitalisation Leave how to finish, must at least go do some surgery then doctor will give HL right.

Your are mistaken. 

You go to Hospital and seek Consultant advise or follow-up treatment from maybe a minor surgery of a finger (trigger finger), your surgeon can give as HL. (Maybe they took into consideration that some private companies give only 14 days MC, and some 30 days. But HL is 60 days  across the board and hardly use unless warded   )

Only in hospital, they issue HL not in Polyclinics or Pte clinics. (Why, I don't know  )

I had been seeing my Consultant at SGH for the past 2 years after my surgery and every time (every 3 months), he asked me whether I need any MC. I said no as I am given time off. I did asked for once and after looking at the MC, it's stated as HL. 

[Soya]

On 5/13/2024 at 12:51 PM, RadX said:

My boss alwes amazed w me, as I am supposed to be the rmore 'sickly' one with my immunocompromised state and yet, never take MC, never get Covid also...but when sick...really hospitalization one.....like my recent calciphylaxis....dr gave me 2 weeks mc..i still hobble in..kanna chase home...nbz

 

I always state 'go big or go home;...no time for in between 

See la....even wuhan virus scare of u

 

[Soya]

On 5/13/2024 at 2:10 PM, kobayashiGT said:

Aye cannot. If really sick, better to stay home. If not the flu bugs will pass on to other ppl leh! hahaha. 

Back in the day when WFH, flexi work arrangements were unheard of, some companies actually rewarded staff w like $50 ntuc voucher if they dun take MC the whole year n showing up for work despite having the bug was something to be proud of.....lol

It's oso those days when flu & cold spread like wildfire every few months and dozens actually got sick coz of others

 

[BanCoe]

Army is the best ..... take MC until no tomorrow 1 (especially comes to Friday or Monday) Super long sleeeeeep   

Usual excuse ..... stomach pain or diarrhea.....

BTW I use polyklinik MC so the Unit OC cannot say much ...... BUT MUST play smart make sure at home between like 8am to 5pm in case OC call home to double confirm 1..... those days only got land line  

Edited May 13, 2024 by BanCoe

[13177]

On 5/13/2024 at 3:54 PM, BanCoe said:

Army is the best ..... take MC until no tomorrow 1 (especially comes to Friday or Monday) Super long sleeeeeep   

Usual excuse ..... stomach pain or diarrhea.....

BTW I use polyklinik MC so the Unit OC cannot say much ...... BUT MUST play smart make sure at home between like 8am to 5pm in case OC call home to double confirm 1..... those days only got land line  

I never fall sick during army, don't know what SAF feed us, no fall sick thru my army days. Think only seen 1-2 times MO in camp and excuse from PT training. 😂 

[Stratovarius]

There goes my snake soup.

[Benarsenal]

If you keep needing to take fake MC, then definitely something is wrong.

[RadX]

On 5/13/2024 at 4:44 PM, Benarsenal said:

If you keep needing to take fake MC, then definitely something is wrong.

More often than not, a morale issue

[Windwaver]

On 5/13/2024 at 10:00 AM, kobayashiGT said:

Source: https://mothership.sg/2024/05/moh-tightens-rules-on-mcs/

The Ministry of Health (MOH) wants to tighten its rules on issuing medical certificates (MCs) amidst concerns that doctors are giving them out too freely.

This comes after the ministry received feedback regarding the excessive issuance of MCs following outpatient medical service consultations, and that some MCs were given for non-medical reasons.

MOH is currently seeking feedback from doctors on a proposal to amend the Healthcare Services Act to tighten the conditions for issuing MCs, the ministry said in a circular sent to doctors on Apr. 22, seen by Mothership.

The allegations

The ministry pointed out that particularly in the context of teleconsultations, MCs had been issued solely based on patients' self-reported reasons for consultation without any proper assessment by a medical practitioner if there were such conditions that warranted an MC.

"MCs were issued when patients mentioned that they had just wanted a certification to skip work or school, but they were not sick," MOH said.

MCs were also repeatedly issued to the same patients without referring them for physical consultations for further assessments to check if they were indeed unwell.

Proposed regulations

 

The ministry intends to impose a requirement on doctors to include their name and medical council registration number on every MC issued.

In addition, any doctor found advertising or allowing the practice that the issuance of MCs could be "anonymised" would be breaching this regulation.

A breach in regulation may result in the revoking of the medical practitioner's license.

The ministry may also conduct inspections or audits, or request the relevant procedures and policies with regard to the remote provision of outpatient medical services. Doctors who fail to the code and guidelines may be referred to the professional watchdog for further action.

Medical practitioners who would like to provide feedback on the new requirement can email in to [email protected] by May 20.

Obligations as a doctor

MOH and the Singapore Medical Council reminded all doctors to adhere to the latter's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines, which state that "medical certificates must be issued to patients only on proper medical grounds arrived at through good clinical assessment”.

Signed jointly by Professor Kenneth Mak, director-general of health at MOH, and Professor Chee Yam Cheng, SMC’s president, the circular said that doctors cannot take extraneous factors into consideration when issuing MCs.

These factors include who pays for the consultation, what benefits the patients may receive or what employers' preferences may be.

"[An MC] must be made in the context of an existing patient-doctor relationship and is premised on the duty of care the doctor owes the patient arising from this patient-doctor relationship," the circular said.

Those no use MC for the year can get more bonus? 

[Heartlander]

On 5/13/2024 at 1:24 PM, Maxus-MIFA9 said:

You know you can make money by hospitalised  

Claim from your life insurance and can get up to $50  ~ $80 a day. The hospital stays from medisave.... 

No more now. Think ended industry wide few years back.

[badlammy]

Nowadays still need to see Dr to apply medical sick leave?