The Land Transportation Office has issued a 60-day preventive suspension order on one of its accredited clinics for the “fraudulent” issuance of a medical certificate, LTO Assistant Regional Director Gaudioso Geduspan II said on Wednesday, November 23.
The LTO suspended the K Shine medical clinic at 888 China Town Square Mall at Gatuslao Street in Bacolod for allowing its staff to issue medical certificate in behalf of a doctor who did not conduct an examination on their client, he said.
The medical certificates issued by the clinic are used in availing of drivers’ licenses.
The LTO monitored the clinic’s operations after it discovered that it issued 168 medical certificates in a day, while other accredited clinics are issuing about 40 a day, Geduspan said.
A LTO lawyer acted as a poseur-client and caught a clinic staff issuing him a medical certificate on behalf of a doctor who did not examine him, which should include auditory and visual tests, he said.
They were caught in flagrant violation of LTO rules, Geduspan said.
He said the preventive suspension for 60 days was issued while further investigation is conducted to determine the fate of the clinic.
The LTO has 12 accredited clinic’s in Bacolod and their operations are being monitored, Geduspan added.
He also said the doctor who allowed her staff to issue a medical certificate on her behalf without her conducting an examination could be held liable for unprofessional conduct.
“It is not statistically probable for a doctor to examine 168 clients and issue them medical certificates from 7 a.m. to 2 to 3 in the afternoon,” he said.
This should serve as a stern warning to those committing similar acts, he said.
“The LTO’s goal is to ensure that we have quality drivers,” Geduspan added.
Joey Elete of K Shine said he has no comment on the LTO suspension pending the investigation of the matter.*