The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday urged the Director General of Health Services and the IGP to conduct an impartial investigation into claims a woman has made via social media about a medical report issued by a cardiologist attached to the Nagoda Hospital.
Acting on a complaint lodged by the cardiologist, police team visited her residence requesting her to remove the social media post.
GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that the Cardiology Unit, established in 20121, the Nagoda General Hospital, Kalutara, had carried out over 5,500 angiograms.
“The team at this unit is led by three heart specialists. The unit has saved thousands of lives.
Dr. Aluthge said on 21 June, a patient who underwent an angiogram had left the hospital on the same day with a CD with images from the test.
He said that the CD had not worked when another doctor tried to open it.
“The daughter of the patient arrived at the hospital two weeks later at a very hectic time, and she had to wait. Instead of lodging a complaint with the hospital administration, she has been making wild accusations against a heart specialist there,” he claimed.
Dr. Aluthge said the hospital and the doctor were compelled to lodge a complaint with the police about the abusive posts. Neither the hospital nor the doctor had any influence on the police, he said.
“The damage caused to the reputation of the doctor and the hospital is terrible. However, at a time like this, the impact of such posts on the public health sector is worse. Doctors are leaving the country at a rapid pace. It is the responsibility of the government as well as the people to encourage the doctors who have decided to stay back. Of course, if a doctor makes a mistake, he or she has to answer for it. However, baseless and hateful interventions only discourage professionals,” he said.
