Two public hospital doctors have been granted bail after being arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of leaking a patient’s data to accuse a surgeon of making a mistake.

Observers, meanwhile, said that although the incident did not align with the principles of “whistle-blowing”, it underscored the need for a stronger “speak-up” culture within the Hospital Authority.

The 35-year-old associate consultant and the 57-year-old consultant from Tseung Kwan O Hospital were released on bail on Tuesday and are required to report to police in late September.

A source earlier said that the two suspects allegedly accessed the data of a female pancreatic cancer patient who died after a surgical procedure and advised her family on how to file a complaint against the doctor who operated.

The suspects are both from the hospital’s surgery department.

The patient’s medical records, along with those of others, were allegedly sent to the family to highlight the surgeon’s shortcomings.

Dr David Lam Tzit-yuen, a lawmaker representing the medical and health services sector, stressed that the purpose of “whistle-blowing” was to uphold justice and protect the public interest, but not to make personal accusations.