Doctor lied about experience to get job

A PALESTINIAN doctor working in Ireland has admitted that he lied about his medical experience to secure a job with the Health Service Executive.

Dr Ahmad Alastal, who is based in Portlaoise, Co Laois, yesterday pleaded guilty to four charges of professional misconduct when he appeared before a sitting of the Irish Medical Council’s Fitness to Practise Committee.

Dr Alastal, 38, accepted he had falsely claimed to have worked as a junior doctor at a hospital in Gaza between 2004 and 2006 at a time when he was actually studying in Dublin. He also made a false declaration that he had worked as a senior house officer at a GP’s surgery in Castleknock between 2006 and 2007 when in fact he had merely been a medical observer there.

Dr Alastal’s lies were made on an application form and/or at a subsequent interview for a place on a psychiatric training programme run in the mid-Leinster region by the HSE.

The doctor, who was based at St Fintan’s Psychiatric Hospital, Portlaoise, resigned from the course in October 2009 after three months when concern was voiced by HSE officials that his ability did not appear to match his declared experience.

The HSE subsequently made an official complaint to the Irish Medical Council after Dr Alastal made admissions about the false declarations.

Solicitor for the IMC, JP McDowell stressed that patient safety had never arisen as Dr Alastal had always been under supervision.

Dr Alastal was also accused of falsely claiming to be the author of an article contained in a medical journal on urology. However, his barrister, Michael Purtill claimed his client had contributed to the research on which the article was based.

Dr Alastal, who was granted Irish citizenship in 2008, has not worked as a GP since he resigned from his HSE training post.

Mr Purtill asked the committee for leniency by taking into account that he was attempting to alleviate the financial plight of his 12 siblings back in Gaza by working in Ireland.

The committee recommended that Dr Alastal be admonished — the equivalent of a firm reprimand — which will be documented permanently on his professional record.