Doctor accused of professional misconduct

A CORK-BASED doctor has appeared before the Irish Medical Council over his treatment of a patient with a history of cardiac problems who collapsed at home two years ago.

Dr Saleem Sharif, who runs his own practice in Ballyphehane, is accused by the patient, Barry Murphy, and other members of his family, of refusing to help to lift him and insisting on seeing the patient’s medical card while he was lying on the ground before treating him.

A hearing of the IMC’s Fitness to Practise Committee is investigating eight counts of alleged professional misconduct and/or poor professional performance against Dr Sharif. The 52-year-old, who was working on call for SouthDoc when he called to the home of Barry Murphy at Peacock Row, North Monastery Road, Cork, on May 17, 2009, denies the charges.