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Doc fired for beating 'drunk' patient

Published: 23 May 12 08:51 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40990/20120523/

A doctor in Malmö in southern Sweden has been fired after punching and refusing to treat a female patient he thought was drunk. The matter has also been reported to police.

The female patient came to the emergency room of the Skåne University Hospital in Malmö complaining of severe abdominal pain.

It is alleged that the doctor refused to help the woman, telling her that she was drunk and then refusing to speak with her.

According to the woman's complaint, the doctor then hit the woman on each leg and in the stomach several times, wrote the Sydsvenskan newspaper.

The woman’s mother came to the hospital, where her daughter immediately complained: “the doctor has hit me, the doctor has hit me,” according to the paper.

Then, upon the mother’s request, the doctor made a second examination of the woman, and claimed that “there is no need to rip her up needlessly”.

The event, which occurred three months ago, is now under police investigation.

Staff members of the hospital explained that the police investigation was delayed as there was a preliminary and timely internal investigation that took place first.

“I don’t want to comment on what the doctor said to us as I would not want to pre-empt the investigation,” said Lisbeth Hedenius, an employee of the Skåne hospital, to Sydsvenskan.

The doctor has contested the dismissal and contacted his union, according to the TT news agency.

Jens Bernow, chairman of Malmö’s Medical Assosciation (Skånska Läkarförening) also refused to comment.

“I don’t want to comment on the doctor’s aptitude, the investigations will show whether he has done anything [wrong],” he told the paper.

The Local/og (news@thelocal.se)

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09:25 May 23, 2012 by foxpur
There are several illness that cause similar effects to being drunk even possibly account for her pain (a TIA Stroke or symptoms of pancreatic cancer come quickly to mind). The doctor was WAY outta line.
11:12 May 23, 2012 by Borilla
It does not make any difference whether she was drunk. Even drunken people are entitled to an examination and treatment, not a beating. Another example of your tax dollars at work. Doctors are there to deal with physical/psychological problems, not to deal out corporal punishment because they don't agree with your lifestyle/religion. Does this mean that an inebriated pedestrian who is hit by a car gets a beating instead of treatment when he comes to the hospital?
12:45 May 23, 2012 by achuou
And she said "the doctor has hit me, the doctor has hit me," means...come on mother time to make money , lets SUE doctor and rest of the world..lol
14:32 May 23, 2012 by William Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha
There are indeed illnesses that cause similar effects to being drunk. There's also being drunk. An A&E doctor is more likely to encounter the second. With only one side put forward, that of someone allegedly drunk at the time with nothing to indicate she has claimed not to have been, it's impossible for anyone to judge whether or not the doctor was out of line.
19:14 May 23, 2012 by foxpur
Well, as Borilla pointed out.... ANY such contact from a staff is bad.
22:09 May 23, 2012 by Flygger
Well done to the Judges here who have found the doctor guilty.

Thank goodness I'm not on trial if I was unlucky enough to have some posters here on the jury.

In the UK drunks can be refused treatment if they become violent. Still waiting to hear the other side of the coin. What is the doctor's account of what happened during the examination ?

There really are some dunderheads here posting comments and I suppose those same people will comment about this post and pre judge me thereby confirming they are rather naive to say the least.
16:59 March 19, 2013 by janeway
Flygger: I don't care about the rules of doctors in the UK. This is Sweden and Swedish rules apply.

Achuou(?): As mentioned, this is Sweden. Not USA. You can't sue a doctor for malpractice in this country. Look it up, if you don't believe me.
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