The trial of Jipson Quah, a general practitioner suspended from practice since March 2022, began on Dec 16, 2024, over allegations of administering saline shots instead of Sinopharm vaccines between 2021 and 2022. Quah, alongside his clinic assistant Thomas Chua and Iris Koh, founder of the anti-vaccine group Healing the Divide, faces charges of conspiring to falsify vaccination records.
Patients allegedly paid Quah between $1,000 and $6,000 for the saline injections, with the intent to bypass pandemic restrictions on unvaccinated individuals. Quah would record them as having received the Sinopharm vaccine in the Health Promotion Board’s system.
Deputy Public Prosecutors outlined the case, referencing police interviews where Quah admitted to administering saline shots to avoid side effects feared by patients, many referred by Koh. The saline injections were priced similarly to the Sinopharm vaccine, but some patients offered substantial "tokens of appreciation," which Quah accepted reluctantly.
Chua allegedly facilitated communications and collected payments, keeping 30% for himself. Koh referred patients who feared vaccines due to side effects and allegedly suggested the use of alternatives.
Prosecutors plan to call witnesses, including 14 individuals who received saline shots. The case continues with the accused facing up to 20 years’ imprisonment and fines if convicted.
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