Ministry stands by HKL medical report on Saiful's sodomy claim

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry will stand by the medical findings of Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) on Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Director-General Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the examination on Mohd Saiful on June 28 was according to standard operating procedures with “strict adherence to medical ethics, confidentiality and professionalism.”

“The details of the findings have not and will be not be disclosed to any unauthorised personnel or agency,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

“No one should speculate or draw conclusions or make assumptions as to the result of the medical examination.”

Dr Ismail was commenting on an online news portal report that a medical report showed no indication of Mohd Saiful having been sodomised.

Mohd Saiful had lodged a police report that he was sodomised by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The medical report from Hospital Pusrawi, signed by Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid at 2.14pm on June 28, ruled out that Mohd Saiful was sodomised. Dr Mohamed Osman had also recommended that Mohd Saiful go to a government hospital for further checks.

Dr Ismail declined to comment on the online report. He said the ministry would contact Hospital Pusrawi for further details particularly about the authenticity of the record and how it had been made public.

“Regardless of the authenticity of a medical record, such a record should be regarded as confidential and should not be circulated,” he said.

He said action could be taken under the Private Healthcare and Facilities Act against any private hospital which failed to have measures to ensure the confidentiality of a patient’s medical record.

Dr Ismail, who is Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) president, said Dr Mohamed Osman was registered to practise medicine in Malaysia.

He added that when a doctor had to release confidential information to a third party he was obligated to ensure that steps had been taken to avoid legal and ethical breaches.