SINGAPORE: The doctor of a 31-year-old woman who died of cardiac arrest in 2019 after her doctor administered an aesthetic treatment has been given a jail sentence of 18 months.
The judge in the case of Dr Chan Bingyi, 38, had described his conduct as “deplorable” in that he had hidden from the family of Lau Li Ting that he had administered ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to her.
Ms Lau developed EDTA toxicity after the dose she was given was too high. Moreover, she was also given EDTA too quickly, CNA reported. This resulted in her death.
In October 2022, Chan was charged with causing Ms Lau’s death by a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide. While he contested the charge and stood trial in 2024, he was later convicted.
Ms Lau had gone to see the doctor at Revival Medical & Aesthetics Centre in 90 Bras Basah Road on March 8, 2019, as she wanted to address the fine lines on her forehead.
While Chan had first recommended another treatment that did not involve EDTA, Ms Lau had said she wanted chelation therapy, which uses the administration of EDTA intravenously, as she had been pleased with its results in the past.
Though the doctor told her she was unsuitable to receive chelation therapy, which is highly restricted in Singapore, she allegedly insisted on it.
However, Ms Lau suffered a seizure during the treatment and later died. Chan then called her father, informing her of what had happened and telling him she had been brought to Singapore General Hospital. She was placed on life support due to the gravity of her condition and died on March 13.
In his judgment, Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun said that Ms Lau’s death had been caused by Chan’s actions, adding that the doctor had been aware of the risks of chelation therapy. When he agreed to administer the therapy, he put financial gain over Ms Lau’s safety.
The judge also pointed out that Chan had intentionally hidden the fact that he had administered EDTA to Ms Lau from paramedics and doctors, as well as from her family. This meant that the medical professionals who treated her did not have crucial information that may have saved her life.
CNA noted that the doctor is still listed under the registry of the Ministry of Health as a medical practitioner, and that he will be lodging an appeal against his conviction. /TISG
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