Religious order says sorry over struck-off surgeon

A religious order that once ran a Co Louth hospital where an obstetrician unnecessarily removed the wombs of more than 60 women, today apologised for what happened and backed calls for a full inquiry.

The Medical Missionaries of Mary underscored the importance of seeking answers about the actions of Dr Michael Neary at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth.

Last month, the Irish Medical Council acted to strike off Dr Neary from its register of medical practitioners after declaring him guilty of professional misconduct in relation to 10 patients.

In a statement today, the Medical Missionaries of Mary, who owned the hospital before it was transferred to Ireland’s North Eastern Health Board six years ago, expressed their deep regret and sorrow “for the pain, sense of loss and anger of those women and the families of those women, who had operations which deprived them of their ability to conceive and have further children.”

The order added “We believe that it is important to seek answers about how and why this happened.

“For that reason, we would welcome and support a full inquiry into these events, and we pledge to assist and participate in any such inquiry.”

The order said they had not commented on the hospital’s affairs until now because of proceedings at the medical council and in the courts.

When directing Dr Neary to be struck off last month, the IMC also requested Health Minister Micheál Martin to look into what were called “serious issues” about the running of the obstetric unit in the Drogheda hospital, where Dr Neary worked for more than 20 years, from 1978.

Dr Neary has been suspended from working in medicine for the past four years following the allegations levelled at him.

The medical council said it was impossible to offer any consolation to the women involved, but it was hoped that in taking action agreed it would avoid such “tragedies” in the future, and pointed to evidence they had heard highlighting “the harrowing experiences” of the 10 women involved.

The Patient Focus Group, which represents the women involved, tonight welcomed the Missionaries of Mary statement.

A spokeswoman said they were “surprised, but very, very pleased” at the development.

Controversy over Dr Neary first emerged in 1998, when two midwives reported concerns about the high number of hysterectomies he was carrying out at the Drogheda hospital.

Earlier this year, Dr Neary lost an appeal against an Irish High Court award of €270,000 damages order for negligence against him to Alison Gough, from Ardee, Co Louth.

Ms Gough’s womb was removed by Dr Neary after the birth of her son.

Sixty other cases against Dr Neary are pending.