Minister reassures members that all data will be treated with strictest
confidence

Sheralyn Tay
sheralyn@mediacorp.com.sg

EVEN as they agreed on the importance of having a national registry to
gather key information to help formulate public health policies, Members
of Parliament (MPs) voiced concern over the issue of confidentiality
during the debate about the National Registry of Diseases Act before the
amendments to it were passed yesterday.

Jurong MP, Mdm Halimah Yaacob, who also chairs the Government
Parliamentary Committee for Health, said that while she had no problems
with patient information being kept anonymous, her concern was over the
“laxity allowed in the use of individually-identifiable information where
the identity can be readily ascertained from the information given”.

Sections of the Act allow identifiable patient information to be disclosed
“for purposes of national health programmes”, Mdm Halimah noted.

Responding to these concerns, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said data
collected may “show from time to time, worrying trends that are beyond the
scope of the registry to investigate”, and it may need to release
identifiable data to match it with other data. This practice has been
adopted in countries like Australia.

Nominated MP Prof Thio Li-Ann questioned the general exemption clause,
which gives the Health Minister powers to waive the requirement of
confidentiality stipulated by the Act.

“This is an extremely broad power, effectively providing carte blanche for
the Minister in his discretion to allow someone to be given blanket
immunity from this statutory regime,” she said.

Mr Khaw said the clause would not be used to exempt anybody from the
obligations of confidentiality.

Rather, it is intended to exempt managers of healthcare institutions from
being prosecuted when they notify the registry about patients being
treated for a reportable disease.

Mr Khaw reassured members that all patient data collected by the
registry – whether anonymised or identifiable – would be treated with the
“strictest confidence”. In cases where data is released, be it for
research or to inform health policies, there will be rigorous scrutiny.

Anyone guilty of unauthorised disclosure would be subject to a maximum
fine of $10,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

“We will only collect information that is absolutely essential for
healthcare policy-making,” added Mr Khaw.

Under the Act, all healthcare institutions are required to notify the
Registry of Diseases about cancer cases. Other illnesses such as heart
disease, renal disease and stroke will be added in time.