SINGAPORE — The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) has barred a general practitioner, who was charged in February for molesting and raping a patient, from carrying out consultations with female patients unless he is accompanied by a female doctor acting as a chaperone.

Wee Teong Boo, 66, will have to do this for an 18-month period starting Monday (May 1).

This is the first time that the council has issued such an order for an ongoing court case.

In a memo published on its website on Friday (April 28), the SMC stated that Wee cannot examine the breast, pelvic, genital or anal areas of female patients. Instead, the chaperone, who must be a female registered medical practitioner in Singapore, will carry out these tasks on his behalf.

Wee is accused of molesting a 23-year-old woman on Nov 25, 2015 and raping her between Dec 30 and 31 that year. These were said to have been taken place at Wee’s Clinic & Surgery, located along Bedok North Avenue 2.

The council said: “While recognising that Dr Wee had not been convicted of the charges and should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the SMC also considered the seriousness of the charges against Dr Wee and the need to protect members of the public while criminal proceedings against Dr Wee were ongoing.”

It referred the matter to an Interim Orders Committee to assess the need for Wee’s registration as a medical practitioner to be suspended or be subjected to conditions.

On April 22, the committee made an order under the Medical Registration Act that Wee’s registration be conditional, subject to compliance with the conditions set out for the 18 months.

The chaperone would also have to detail every case in which she oversees in a log, and submit it to the SMC every two weeks. “Such log shall also certify that the consultation and/or any examination was performed in accordance with professional standards. If such professional standards are not compiled with, such deviation shall be recorded,” the council said.

These conditions will be reviewed after six months.

If convicted of rape, Wee could be jailed up to 20 years and fined. Outrage of modesty carries a maximum penalty of two years’ jail, fine, caning or any combination of this. No caning will be imposed due to his age.