MISS RAJA'S DENTAL TREATMENT

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the removal of Miss Raja's decayed tooth was necessary before she could go for a liver transplant operation; (b) if so, could the decayed tooth be extracted under anaesthesia; (c) how and when was the information that the decayed tooth could be extracted under anaesthesia communicated to her and her family; and (d) as her condition was already critical and she had finally decided to go for the extraction, why was she made to wait for another two days for it.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: The Attorney-General's Chambers have advised that it is not appropriate to release patient information to the public. As these questions pertain to specific information in a patient's personal and confidential medical records, it would not be appropriate to provide detailed replies to all the questions as we do not have the consent of the patient or the next-of-kin. The following reply provides general information about the necessity of performing dental extractions for patients who are scheduled to undergo liver transplants. In any event, Ms Raja was a patient of the National University Hospital, not the Ministry of Health. The NUH is a restructured hospital and is independently managed. MOH does not have access to NUH records except as a regulator.

Prior to liver transplantation, it is good clinical practice to treat or remove infected teeth, as these may become potential sources of infection in the patient after the transplant procedure. However, this is not an essential medical requirement, and, as was the case for Ms Raja, would not delay transplantation should a suitable liver become available before the affected teeth are treated.

It is a standard practice for the dental extraction to be carried out under local anaesthesia.