Dental specialist centre claims trial to nine charges

KUALA LUMPUR: A dental specialist centre claimed trial in the Sessions Court here to nine charges related to the death of Datuk Syed Alman Zain Syed Alwi and alleged failure to adhere to health and safety regulations.

Imperial Dental Specialist Centre, which was represented by its director Wong Yen Ling, pleaded not guilty to six charges related to the death of Syed Alman, who was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi's son-in-law.

Wong also pleaded not guilty to another three charges of failing to adhere to other regulations on healthcare facilities and services.

The centre was charged with failing to ensure that Dr Ting Teck Chin (pic), who administered anaesthesia to Syed Alman, was a qualified anaesthesiologist while another doctor at the centre was not qualified to perform an orthopantomogram (a panoramic dental X-ray scan) on him.

Further charges were for failing to provide Syed Alman's medical record to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre when he was transferred there and for providing anaesthesia services on him at their premises at Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, which is against the purpose of their licence.

The four charges under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act carry a fine of up to RM300,000 for each offence.

Two more charges under the same Act were over functional expansion which affected services and resulted in administering anaesthesia on Syed Alman without the approval of the health director-general.

Another three more charges were over alleged failure to adhere to the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Regulations.

The centre is also accused of failing to keep and maintain a staff record according to regulations, which could see it fined another RM300,000 if found guilty.

The other two charges were for failure to ensure medicine labels meet regulations and that sufficient steps were taken to ensure that staff are protected from biological hazards. If convicted, the centre could be fined up to RM10,000, a maximum jail sentence of three months or both.

Imperial Dental Specialist Centre was represented by Sreekant Pillai while DPP Mohd Abazafree Mohd Abbas prosecuted.

Sessions judge Harmi Thamri Mohamad @ Shaharudin did not set bail as it is a summons case and fixed mention on Sept 8.