Diabetes patient lost part of scrotum to gangrene due to doctor's negligence

A diabetes patient who had a fever and a painful lump in his buttock ended up losing part of his scrotum to gangrene because the company doctor did not examine him and refer him to a hospital for treatment.

On Wednesday, Dr Mohd Syamsul Alam Ismail was suspended for 2½ years and fined $40,000 for professional misconduct.

The punishment was handed down by the Court of Three Judges after the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) appealed against the original three-month suspension imposed by a disciplinary tribunal.

Dr Syamsul, a Malaysian currently practising in Johor, was one of the doctors at a shipyard in 2013. On May 14 that year, the patient went to him, saying he had a fever for five days and also a painful lump.

Dr Syamsul did not examine the patient, but prescribed him antibiotics, and gave him three days of medical leave.

The next day, the patient was admitted to hospital, where he was diagnosed with gangrene and underwent emergency surgery to remove a part of his scrotum.

This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.