GRIPES against physicians practising traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are increasing, amid rising popularity for what is seen as complementary or alternative treatment to Western medicine.
Figures from the Consumers Association of Singapore and the TCM Practitioners Board showed more complaints in the last three years. Case received 13 complaints last year, up from eight in 2006.
Overcharging was the main sore point, said Case's executive director Seah Seng Choon. Others include misrepresentation, like cheaper ginseng powder being passed off as premium stuff.
The TCM Practitioners Board - traditional Chinese physicians' equivalent of the Singapore Medical Council - received 17 complaints in 2006, up from nine in 2005. Its spokesman said last year's figures were not available.
Most complaints in 2006 were about professional misconduct and negligence, such as rude and abusive behaviour, wrong diagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
The board was set up in 2001 to oversee registration and training and regulate the conduct of TCM practitioners. It also handles written complaints against practitioners and investigates each case.
That same year, registration of acupuncturists was required, followed by physicians the next year. There were 1,910 registered sinsehs and acupuncturists in 2004. At the end of last year, there were 2,234 practitioners.
The board can revoke a physician's licence, fine him up to $10,000 or suspend him for up to three years.
Two TCM practitioners were suspended for two years each last month for selling Western prescription drugs without a licence. A third was censured and fined $2,000 for treating a patient without advising her to see a doctor for her swollen leg. It turned out to be bone cancer.
Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association president Tan Pit Lian said the rise in complaints could be due to a more educated public, rather than the presence of more black sheep. He said patients should check the board's website (www.tcmpb.gov.sg) to see if the practitioner is registered.
Patrons said they rely on word of mouth to choose a physician. Restaurant owner Phyllis Ong, 31, who has been visiting TCM physicians for eight years, depends on friends' testimonies.
'Qualifications don't really matter ...As long as they are experienced and know what they are doing, that's the most important thing for me,' said Ms Ong.
