Manager at Gleneagles Hospital misappropriated $344k from hospital
While working as a manager at Gleneagles Hospital's business office department, Thomas Ng Eng How would alter patients' bills by downgrading their hospital bed category.
But he only did this after the patient had paid the original bill and was discharged.
The 48-year-old then kept the difference and used it for his personal expenses. Over a three year period, he misappropriated nearly $344,000.
On Tuesday (May 31) Ng was sentenced to three years and nine months' jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust involving more than $316,000.
He also admitted to eight forgery charges.
Another 30 charges, including two counts of criminal breach of trust linked to the remaining amount, were considered during sentencing.
Ng, who committed his offences between 2016 and 2018, is no longer working for the hospital.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Dhiraj G Chainani said Ng's job scope included handling all payment and billing matters involving patients.
While he could amend the bills in the hospital's computer system, he had to first obtain his superiors' authorisation.
Ng learnt that Gleneagles Hospital had a practice of offering discounts to patients from time-to-time and also gave reduction in bills by downgrading their hospital bed category.
Such bill amendments could be made even after the patients' bills were paid in full, with the hospital issuing cash refunds.
Ng then hatched a plan to misappropriate cash from the hospitalby targeting patients who were foreigners.
The DPP said: "After such identified patients made full payment to Gleneagles Hospital for their original bill amounts and were discharged, the accused would amend the bills in the computer system... by reducing the final bill amounts.
"This would be done by either downgrading the patients' hospital bed category to a lower-tiered bed category or by indicating a discount amount on the bills."
Ng would make these amendments himself or instruct his subordinates to do so.
The hospital's computer system would then issue cash-refund documents, whichNg or his subordinates, who acted on his instructions, would present to the hospital cashier in exchange for cash.
Ng kept the money for himself. To cover his tracks, he forged signatures of affected patients or their next-of-kin on the cash refund slips.
His offences came to light when auditors found a large number of cash refunds issued by the hospital. Ng was arrested on Jan 12, 2018 after the police were alerted.
Nearly $11,000 was recovered, which was returned to Gleneagles Hospital. In March 2018, Ng made a partial restitution of $48,000.
The hospital's chief executive, Dr Melvin Heng, told The Straits Times that Gleneagles Hospital trusts its employees to perform their roles with the highest integrity.
"It is unfortunate when this trust is broken.
"The hospital terminated Thomas (Ng) immediately after it uncovered sufficient evidence of his wrongdoing and made a police report," he added.
Ng's bail was set at $15,000 and he will start serving his sentence on June 7.
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