Doctors must be objective; not influenced by authorities
by Tan Yi Liang, The Sun
Doctors must always be objective when conducting examinations and not be influenced by any authority, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Khoo Kah Lin said today.
"The MMA has always maintained that doctors must be objective in their examinations, and the reports that they issue," said Khoo, who expressed concerns over the discrepancies in the two autopsy reports of suspected thief A.Kugan who died on Jan 20 in police custody.
"The conflict in autopsy reports relating to Kugan has caused Malaysians to speculate on the reasons for the contrasting differences. So glaring are the differences between the reports that the first pathologist appears incompetent, at the very least," said Khoo.
"If the second report is accurate, the pathologist responsible for the first was either negligent in the performance of his duty or was coerced into reporting as he did" he said, adding that the MMA is gravely concerned about the issue.
"In the current case, once the truth is ascertained, the MMA will consider taking the doctor concerned to task and refer him to the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), if deemed necessary," he said.
"The MMA is heartened by Health Ministry Director-General Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican's statement that 'In the interest of justice and fair play, the Health Ministry will initiate an independent inquiry into the two post-mortem reports of Kugan who died while in police custody and that 'the outcome of the inquiry would be made public'," said Khoo, who also condemned Kugan's death in police custody.
"This is not the first such incident. The MMA condemns such custodial deaths and urges the government to take the necessary remedial actions to ensure that it never happens again," he added.
