The Saga Continues

Unless you've been living in a mountain cave these past few months, you would've read the newspaper reports about Dr. Susan Lim's troubles. After a month's adjournment, the sensational headlines are back in full force, starting with a claim that SingHealth CEO Prof. Tan Ser Kiat, who was appointed head of the newly set up SMC disciplinary committee, bears a 30-year-old grudge against her, after allegedly being romantically rebuffed. Of course, other factors were also mentioned, but who the hell cares when watercooler gossip has something so much juicier to latch onto? Casual conversation with medical colleagues - one of whom hails from SGH orthopaedics - reveals a unanimous sympathy vote for Prof. Tan. And it is certainly interesting that his version of events from that fateful evening 3 decades ago is poles apart from Dr. Lim's account. I'm curious as to whether an independent witness will come forward, especially if what Prof. Tan describes as a 'party' attended by others holds true. Isn't it sad that legal proceedings have degenerated to this level? Again, the colleagues I chatted with feel that Dr. Lim's legal team is overzealous in its attempts to undermine her opponents. While she no doubt has the financial means to engage top attorneys as she furiously defends her reputation, the tactics used glaringly border on desperation, and have probably earned her a fair number of enemies within the medical profession ( of which members of the SMC likely form a large proportion ). If rumours that she stepped on a lot of toes on her way up the hierarchy are accurate, then this is a perfect example of 'what goes around comes around'.