A thirty seven year old medical practitioner named Chan Bingyi is facing a potential prison sentence of between eighteen and twenty four months following his conviction for a negligent act that resulted in the death of a patient. On April 21 2026 the prosecution presented its sentencing arguments before the court highlighting the severity of the lapse in medical judgment that occurred in 2019. The case involves the death of Lau Li Ting a thirty one year old property agent who passed away following an aesthetic treatment.
The incident took place on March 8 2019 at the Revival Medical & Aesthetics Centre located in Bras Basah Road. Ms Lau had visited the clinic situated within the Esplanade Xchange shopping mall for aesthetic purposes specifically hoping to address fine lines on her forehead. During the visit Chan intravenously administered ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or EDTA to the patient. Court documents and expert testimony emphasized that there was no medical necessity for this administration. EDTA is a substance typically reserved for very specific conditions such as elevated calcium levels or heavy metal poisoning and its use requires specialized training.
The court heard that Ms Lau had no underlying health conditions at the time of the treatment. However the administration of EDTA led to toxicity which caused the patient to suffer a cardiac arrest. Despite being transported to the Singapore General Hospital she passed away five days later on March 13 2019. The prosecution noted that while Ms Lau was the one who had requested the chelation treatment the doctor had a professional responsibility to ensure patient safety. They argued that a doctor is not a typical vendor and should not simply provide whatever a customer asks for if it poses a significant risk to their well-being.
The Deputy Public Prosecutor stated that Chan had administered the substance at a concentration that was too high and at a speed that was too fast. The specific type used disodium EDTA is known to bind to calcium which is vital for heart and muscle function. By depleting these calcium levels the treatment caused heart failure. In his statements to the Ministry of Health Chan described the consultation as lasting only fifteen minutes before proceeding with the intravenous drip. He recounted that while he was monitoring the drip and speaking with Ms Lau she suddenly stopped responding and began to have a seizure.
When the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived at the clinic they found that Ms Lau had no detectable pulse and was not breathing. She arrived at the emergency department in critical condition and never recovered. The prosecution stressed that Chan showed a disregard for safety by performing a procedure he knew could have dangerous complications.
In contrast the defense counsel argued for a significantly lighter sentence of between six and eight months. The defense pointed out that Ms Lau was not a newcomer to chelation therapy and had reportedly undergone similar treatments previously without any issues. They also mentioned that Chan himself had performed over a hundred such therapies without incident in the past. The lawyer stated that his client acted without any malice and took immediate steps to try and resuscitate the patient when the seizure occurred including calling for an ambulance and visiting her in the hospital multiple times.
Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun convicted Chan in January 2026 of committing a negligent act leading to death. The sentencing has been scheduled for May 14 2026. This case has drawn significant attention to the regulations surrounding aesthetic medical treatments and the ethical obligations of doctors when patients request non-essential or high-risk procedures.
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