Increase in ethical complaints against doctors causes concern

THE MEDICAL Council of Jamaica on Sunday reported that there is an increase in the number of complaints that it has received about doctors who are stepping out of line in performing their duties.

To this end, the council's registrar, Dr Muriel Lowe, has urged medical doctors to abide by ethical principles in attending to persons who are in their care.

Lowe, who was speaking on Sunday at the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association (JMDA) second annual ethics conference held at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, said ethics is important if doctors are to carry out their functions professionally.

Lowe, in giving her presentation, revealed that already there had been 11 complaints against doctors at the council since the start of the year. This she said was bad for the profession.

She added that the council received 32 complaints last year, the same number in 2009 and 48 in 2008.

But while unable to give the figures for the corresponding period last year, she said it was nothing compared to the figures for this year.

"A lot of complaints that we get have nothing to do with the medical care that the patients got. But when they want to know from the doctor what is wrong with them, they don't have the time of day for the patients," she lamented.

Money over care

Lowe added that the failure of some doctors to explain the medical conditions and terms used, sometimes prevent patients from being fully aware of their situations.

The interest in money is also a big problem in the profession.

"There are some of us who seemed to be more interested in money than anything else. Patients go to them, they are examined ... they pay as expected, but they need a sick-leave certificate, that is extra (money)," she said. "They have a blood test and they come back and they don't actually see the doctor as the doctor instructed the secretary to tell the patient that the blood test is OK, but they've got to pay for that information," said Lowe.

She added: "It is a shame that there are any doctors doing that sort of thing. I know that I am mostly speaking to the converted, but I am asking you the converted to see that the others pull up their socks," she pleaded.

Lowe lauded the JMDA for pioneering the way to help the doctors to know what they should do when performing their functions.

She was unable to divulge much information on the 11 cases that she received since the start of the year, as the council had only recently written to the doctors in an effort to get a response.

In the meantime, scores of medical professionals listened attentively to various presenters as they outlined the dos and don'ts of their jobs at the conference held under the theme 'Service with a Smile, Improving Patient Care'.

Medical doctor, Owen James, outlined a number of things that persons in the profession should stay away from in order to maintain the highest standard in their jobs.