Do not be alarmed ! ! !

[Shackley]

A doctor who boarded a plane in protective goggles, overalls, gloves and overshoes, alarming passengers over the Sars virus, has been struck off.
. . .
The 49-year-old, of Barming, Kent, boarded the plane from Hong Kong to diagnose a man with a sneeze and cough.
. . .
The panel ruled it was likely passengers would have been alarmed at the sight of a doctor in full protective gear. BBC Link

Dr Egidius Panis is my kinda hero

I didn't even know that there was a Barking in Kent

 

[calnen]

I dont get it - what if the guy *did* have SARS? The doctors expected to risk himself until he can prove it's something else?

 

[gjrc]

why did they assume a man coughing and sneezing would have SARS, how would doctor be able to diagnose that on a plane anyway??

i feel sorry for the guy to be honest!

 

[Van_Dammesque]

I dont get it - what if the guy *did* have SARS? The doctors expected to risk himself until he can prove it's something else?

Yep it is unbelievable. Another stupid decision due to the compensation culture, causing alarm or distress!

It was reported that the man he was going to look at did not have breathing problems or a temperature! So why was the man not let off the plane? Was it due to the fact they thought he had sars? Then when the doctor goes to examine and wears the full gear (just in case) he is slammed for it! A paradox indeed! I have been told that in New Zealand at the time of the sars outbreak that doctors were fully gowned at the airport too, but see the rampant lack of common sense does not exist in New Zealand!

He was also reported for advising policemen to wear gloves and gowns when attaching identification tags to coffins from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami! What is wrong with sensible precaution?

 

[Shackley]

As ever, there is likely to be a bit more to this than the press report. I found this on the GMC website:

The Panel will inquire into allegations that Dr Egidius Anna Hubertus Panis’ conduct in relation to his medial colleagues was at various times unprofessional, inappropriate, intimidating, intended to intimidate and offensive.

It is further alleged that the conduct of Dr Panis, a medical practitioner and a Senior Medical Health Officer at Heathrow Airport, in relation to three patients and an officer of the Metropolitan Police, and the treatment and/or advice he provided to those individuals, was at various times inappropriate, unprofessional, not in the best interests of the patient, likely to cause alarm, and outside the limits of his employment and his professional competence.

I believe that a severe fever is usual where a patient is infected with SARS and the recommendation is that gloves and a facemask should be worn. I don't believe that protective goggles, overalls, and overshoes are usually required. I would have thought that he could don the gloves and facemask only when within spitting distance.

Perhaps he was also ringing a school dinner bell and yelling "Unclean, unclean" at the top of his voice - that would certainly add to the excitement