Its president, Taram Singh Walia, said no medical assistant had been charged in court for such an offence and hoped the media would be more careful in their reports of such cases.

“We have checked and ascertained that no medical assistant is under investigation or has been charged with forging MCs. The man who was charged with 24 counts of forging MCs in a recent case is not a medical assistant nor a member of Numa,” he said.

The accused in most cases were not medical assistants but other categories of health staff.

“We urge the media and those giving out information to the media to be more careful as such misinformation can seriously damage the integrity of medical assistants and public trust in our service,” Taram told Bernama today.

He said Numa was ready to cooperate with the media and authorities to ensure that any information regarding medical assistants was accurate and credible.

Media reports last week said a medical assistant was charged in Seremban with 24 counts of forging MCs and having in his possession rubber stamps bearing the names of certain doctors, two years ago.

Mohd Shahrizan Ismail Sinen, 37, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read out to him in the magistrate’s court.

Taram clarified that Mohd Shahrizan was not a medical assistant nor a member of Numa.

The National Union of Medical Assistants or Nuamo (National Union of Assistant Medical Officers) is a professional body governed by the Medical Assistant Act 180, 1977 and has some 4,200 members.

Its main aim is to look after the welfare of its members in all aspects of work. All activities are carried out in accordance with the Constitution and any member who contravenes this Act will have his or her membership struck off if found guilty.

— BERNAMA