SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is probing whether the founder and CEO of LC Nursing Home in Siglap failed to disclose disciplinary actions taken against him by healthcare regulatory authorities during the nursing home's licence application.

MOH announced in late June that it would revoke the licence of the nursing home, which operates a 93-bed facility at Jalan Ulu Siglap, after finding "serious and systemic" lapses in care and safety. The revocation will take effect on Nov 23.

Responding to CNA's queries on Wednesday (Jul 8), the ministry noted that LC Nursing Home founder and CEO Chia Yang Pong was found guilty of professional misconduct by a Singapore Medical Council disciplinary committee and struck off the Register of Medical Practitioners in 2004.

"MOH is investigating whether Mr Chia had failed to disclose to MOH at the time of the licensing application of LC Nursing Home, information concerning the disciplinary actions taken by healthcare regulatory authorities against him," it said.

The ministry added that it was "unable to comment further at this stage in the light of the ongoing investigations".

It noted that under the Healthcare Services Act 2020, Mr Chia is deemed a key appointment holder at LC Nursing Home. That role does not require medical expertise or technical oversight as a medical practitioner under the Act, according to MOH.

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How said that MOH conducts regular and periodic audits, as well as special reviews and inspections on nursing homes. 

He noted that the great majority of nursing homes placed on closer monitoring take adequate corrective actions and sustain their improvements. 

But if the lapses are serious, repeated and there is a lack of meaningful effort to rectify them, MOH will have to escalate its enforcement measures, Mr Tan said, citing the cases of LC Nursing Home and Windsor Convalescent Home.

The ministry issued a notice on Jun 18 to revo...