Yesterday a jury returned a verdict of guilty in the trial of Doctor Jayant Patel. This man was accused of the manslaughter of three patients - but has been indirectly linked to the deaths of seventeen more. He faces probable life in prison.
Patel was appointed director of surgery at Bundaberg Base hospital in 2003, despite previous charges of medical incompetence in the United States that resulted in limitations on the operations he was permitted to perform.
This should not be the end of the matter here. Equally negligent were those whose job it was to check the qualifications of the doctor before his appointment.
There is another disturbing suggestion concerning the endorsements provided by other members of the medical profession.
It seems that when asked to provide a reference for a colleague that they barely know, many doctors will accept that this is simply a courtesy expected of them - and will reel off a glowing testimonial that may tip the balance on an appointment.
Such a falsification delivers unsuspecting members of the public into the hands of a doctor who may decide if they live or die.
It is time the medical profession faced reality and accepted responsibility for carefully scrutinising a colleagues skills before writing a testimonial.
Should they be careless in doing this they should face the prospect of standing in the dock - and sharing the responsibility for risk to the life of that doctor's victims !
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