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.

Overall, however, he was cleared of the allegations.

At the inquiry yesterday he continued to claim that he was the victim of racial, ethnic and religious discrimination.

Dr Ahmed, representing himself from America via Skype, argued in his closing submissions that a racial bias against him was evident in evidence and records presented to the inquiry.

“The people who brought these allegations had a racial bias,” he claimed.

The inquiry heard previously that, in a letter Dr Ahmed wrote in response to the allegations, he claimed he was a victim of racism.

Dr Ahmed defended his work as a doctor, saying, “My practice is very satisfactory … and of benefit to patients in Ireland.” He claimed no harm came to the patients that were connected with allegations in this case.

Barrister Tom Hogan, representing the CEO of the Medical Council, counter-argued that the chief executive’s case is “not that any of these patients were caused harm but that they were put at risk”.

He argued that Dr Ahmed’s complaints of racial and ethnic discrimination are unfounded.