Incompetent doctors cause lawsuits

Dr Albert Persaud, a senior medical officer highlighted this situation yesterday during the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association’s (TTMA) 11th Medical Research Conference at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

Persaud said more than 50 legal actions have been taken in the last four years in the courts. "It is increasing in TT where swabs are being left in patients, misdiagnoses, poor decisions regarding surgeries, cancellation of surgeries causing pain and suffering, those are all the cases we have here — plain incompetence across the board," said Persaud.

The issue of abandoning patients was also raised where doctors could be punished if the patient they are attending to is not referred to another physician.

"There are too many instances in this country where there are those doctors who feel they could walk away from patients and not hand them over to another physician," said Persaud. Persaud warned if there is gross criminal negligence of a patient where the doctor knows the patient would suffer harm, but does nothing about it and the patient dies, the doctor can be charged with manslaughter.

In Barbados a doctor was charged with manslaughter and Persaud believes a similar case would occur soon in TT. Confidentiality of patients’ health status and fraudulence were also other issues highlighted.

Persaud, a specialist, said it was not unusual in TT for doctors to give a fraudulent sick leave to an employee.

However, Persaud warned doctors that it is an illegal act to provide a false sick leave, as the doctor will be an accomplice in trying to defraud an employer.