Doctor cleared of misconduct

A junior doctor who claimed he was the victim of racial bias was cleared of professional misconduct and poor professional performance at a Medical Council inquiry yesterday — despite the fact that many of the allegations against him were found to be factually true.

Dr Saqib Ahmed, who was working as a junior registrar in oncology at University Hospital Limerick between July and November 2012, was facing a total of eight allegations of professional misconduct and/or poor professional performance.

While a number of claims were proven to be factually true, only a sub-section of one was proven to amount to poor professional performance, the committee ruled. This was in relation to the allegation that Dr Ahmed had failed to request basic medical tests including blood, urine and kidney function tests for a patient whom he saw on November 6, 2012.