A customer service associate deployed at the National University Hospital (NUH) has been fined for repeatedly accessing confidential patient information without authorisation.
Norkamelia Osman, 34, pleaded guilty to one charge under the Computer Misuse Act, with another similar offence taken into consideration during sentencing on Monday, December 1.
According to court proceedings, Norkamelia began working as a customer service associate at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in June 2018 before being reassigned to NUH in September 2022. Her role allowed her access to the Epic system — an electronic platform used across healthcare institutions to manage patient records, appointments and billing details.
While authorised to use the system for patients under her care, she was not permitted to review information belonging to other individuals. Despite this, she accessed the records of 11 people between July and December 2022. Investigations revealed she had logged into the system 223 times to view personal data belonging to individuals such as her husband, son, brother-in-law, former boss, ex-colleagues and even herself.
The misconduct came to light in July 2023 when NUH received an anonymous tip-off. A woman working at another medical institution reported that Norkamelia had contacted her on Instagram before the conversation shifted to WhatsApp. During their chats, Norkamelia brought up details about the woman's workplace and her child's health — information she had never shared. When questioned, Norkamelia admitted she had accessed the data at her workplace.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) subsequently launched an internal review, and a police report was filed in May 2024 after the findings confirmed the unauthorised access. Norkamelia later told police she had looked up the woman's and her child's records in an attempt to "reignite a relationship" that had faded during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sivaranjini Pillai Eliathamby argued for the maximum fine, stressing that Norkamelia had exploited her position and violated the trust placed in her. However, the prosecution acknowledged her cooperation, remorse and status as a first-time offender.
District Judge Tan Jen Tse noted that the prosecution had been fair and "kind" in its approach before imposing the S$5,000 fine.
