Healing the Divide founder Iris Koh, doctor arrested for allegedly submitting fake Covid-19 vaccine records: Biomedical Ethnic Assignment, NUS, Singapore

Healing the Divide founder Iris Koh, doctor arrested for allegedly submitting fake Covid-19 vaccine records

SINGAPORE – The founder of anti-vaccine group Healing the Divide Iris Koh has been arrested,

along with a doctor and his assistant, for allegedly conspiring to cheat and submit falsified vaccination records to the Ministry of Health (MOH), The Straits Times understands.

In a statement on Sunday (Jan 23), the police said they had arrested two men, aged 40 and 33, and a 46-year-old woman on Friday (Jan 21).

The police said they began investigations after receiving a report from MOH about the trio’s alleged

offences under the Infectious Diseases (Antigen Rapid Test Providers) Regulations 2021, and for

submitting false information to the National Immunisation Registry to falsely indicate that Covid-19

vaccines had been administered to individuals.

They added that another eight people are currently being investigated for their suspected involvement in this conspiracy.

In their preliminary investigations, the police said the doctor and his assistant had allegedly conspired to cheat MOH by submitting false information on behalf of individuals.

This was done so that MOH would then issue certificates of vaccination against Covid-19 in the

TraceTogether app to these individuals, even though they had not received the full course of vaccination.

The police said people believed to be members of Healing the Divide would be referred to the doctor by Koh.

Koh is currently under investigation for allegedly inciting members of her group to disrupt public hotlines, including those that were used to help the public with Covid-19 issues. She was charged in court on Sunday (Jan 23) with an offence of criminal conspiracy to cheat.

It is uncommon for an alleged offender to be charged on a Sunday as the courts are usually closed

then. The two men were charged on Friday with an offence of abetment by conspiracy to cheat and are currently being held in remand for further investigations.

A person found guilty of abetment by conspiracy to cheat or criminal conspiracy to cheat can be jailed for up to three years, receive a fine, or both.

The police said they take a very serious view of conduct which may pose a public health risk amid the national fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and that offenders will be dealt with sternly.

Question 1

(a) Why do you think these people allegedly conspired to cheat and submit falsified vaccination records to the Ministry of Health (MOH)? Discuss all possible reasons (including those not found in the article).

(b) Assuming that you are one of the staff working in the clinic and knows of the offences being committed by the doctor. Examine the ethical issues present to help you decide whether or not to report the doctor to the authority.

(c) Recommend possible steps you would take if one of your close friends who is afraid of vaccination seeks your opinion if he should find a doctor who is willing to falsify the vaccination record.