Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mariam Ileyemi
Published on 2024-04-12 05:00:59
A Nigerian doctor named Ewere Onyekpe, working in the UK, has been suspended for an additional six months for engaging in a sexual relationship with a patient in a hospital’s toilet cubicle. Mr. Onyekpe was employed as a locum registrar at the Whittington Hospital in London when the incident occurred. Initially, he received a six-month suspension from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal of the General Medical Council (MPT of the GMC), but an appeal by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) led to the suspension being extended to 12 months.
The case details and tribunal decisions were outlined in a 61-page document obtained by PREMIUM TIMES after a hearing that took place from February 12 to February 29. The tribunal heard that Mr. Onyekpe diagnosed the patient with sciatica and prescribed medication during her visit to the Accident and Emergency Department. Following her discharge, the patient gave Mr. Onyekpe her phone number, leading to a series of exchanged messages that eventually turned personal and sexual.
On June 10, the patient returned to the hospital’s emergency department, where she engaged in consensual sexual intercourse with Mr. Onyekpe in a toilet cubicle. The following day, they had sex again at the patient’s home and continued exchanging sexual messages until July 24. Mr. Onyekpe was later arrested on suspicion of raping the patient but was released without charge.
During the tribunal, there were submissions from both sides regarding the appropriate sanction for Mr. Onyekpe’s actions. The representative of the medical regulatory body argued for his erasure from the medical register, emphasizing the breach of professional boundaries and the vulnerable nature of the patient. On the other hand, Mr. Onyekpe’s defense acknowledged his misconduct, highlighted his remorse, and emphasized the consensual nature of the relationship.
After considering all submissions, the tribunal concluded that the misconduct had been adequately addressed with the previous suspension and decided not to impose any further immediate suspension on Mr. Onyekpe’s registration. The tribunal ruled that his registration would be suspended 28 days after written notification of the decision, pending any appeal. It also revoked the interim order of conditions with immediate effect.
Mr. Onyekpe, a Nigerian-born doctor with a medical qualification from Kharkiv State Medical University in Ukraine, had been practicing medicine in the UK since 2010. He had worked in various hospitals and completed training in Emergency Medicine before the incident at the Whittington Hospital. Despite his misconduct, testimonials spoke of him as a man with integrity, and his defense emphasized his acknowledgment of wrongdoing and cooperation with the investigation process.
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