Nigerian 'Doctor' found guilty of professional misconduct

Saltour Sossiez

EITHNE DONNELLAN Health Correspondent

A DOCTOR who falsely claimed on his CV that he had nearly 20 months’ surgical experience at a hospital in Nigeria before he took up a job at St Luke’s hospital in Kilkenny was found guilty of professional misconduct yesterday.

The Medical Council’s fitness to practise committee heard that when Dr Okwu Timothy Okwu (35) took up the job in Kilkenny in July 2008 as part of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) two-year basic surgical training scheme, it was noted his experience in surgery didn’t match his CV. He behaved like someone with little or no experience in the field.

However, when consultant surgeon Ian Wilson, who was supervising his training, asked him about this he said it was because the system in Ireland was very different to that in Nigeria. Mr Wilson gave him the benefit of the doubt.
In November 2008, however, it came to light during a routine check by Dan McCarthy, medical manpower manager at St Luke’s, that information on Dr Okwu’s CV was inconsistent with information on his Garda clearance certificate.

That certificate stated he was residing in Dublin in March-April 2006 when his CV claimed he was working as a registrar-senior house officer at the Federal Staff Hospital in Nigeria from April 2006 to December 2007. The CV also gave a long list of surgical cases he would have had experience of, including appendix, breast lumps, hernias and ulcers.
Furthermore, the inquiry heard when Dr Okwu filled out a form for the Medical Council in May 2006, he never mentioned the Federal Staff Hospital but said he was working at a different clinic in Nigeria in April 2006.

In evidence Dr Okwu, who graduated in Nigeria in 2002, said he worked at both hospitals at the same time. He admitted the information in his CV was wrong, but said it was “an honest mistake” in that he was due to work at the Federal Staff Hospital to train in surgery between April 2006 and December 2007, but three weeks into the contract he decided to take study leave and travel to Ireland to pursue his training.
He said it was normal practice in Nigeria to state the full duration of a contract on a CV even if it hadn’t been completed due to study leave. The operations listed on his CV were ones he was “exposed to”, he said.

He apologised and said he had no intention to deceive. It was a pure “typographical error”.
The inquiry was told the RCSI, which had interviewed him for the Kilkenny job, ended his training scheme after six months in December 2008 after learning of the discrepancies in his application. Prof Oscar Traynor of the RCSI said the information in his CV would have been a factor in him gaining a place on the scheme when he was interviewed in February 2008, as there were about 210 applicants for 135 places. He was placed 86th.
He did not accept the suggestion Dr Okwu had made an honest mistake. Neither did Mr Wilson.
Mr Wilson said he had never come across such a case before but had unfortunately seen another similar experience since. In general terms, he added, Dr Okwu was “quite a diligent guy” and was motivated, but was deficient in operative skills. He told the RCSI in November 2008 he was satisfactory with some caveats and suitable for further training.
Dr Okwu said he had tried to get several jobs since his training scheme had ended. He applied for jobs in Limerick, Drogheda and Portlaoise and was offered posts but then somebody gave a reference that he was “dangerous”, he said, and he was not given the jobs. Recently took up a job as a senior house officer in Cavan, where he works with a general surgeon.
There were no clinical incidents as a result of Dr Okwu’s practice in Kilkenny but concerns were expressed by nurses who observed him at close quarters.
The fitness to practise committee found him guilty of professional misconduct and recommended he be censured. His name will remain on the medical register.




.

jhegarty

Saltour Sossiez wrote: »

His name will remain on the medical register.

WTF :eek:

AckwelFoley

lol

What wrong with you snyper?

Ive got a ruptured spleen..uuuhh..

Ok Dr Okwu will be with you in a jiffy..

LOL, eh, oh, look, spleen seems fine now.. *legs it*

NothingMan

He could set up a discount surgery,

Kidney's removed from only $350 per kidney. Act now and recieve a free toaster.









Doctor may not have actual surgery experience, but has been exposed to some surgeries.

My name is URL

If the poxy Irish doctors weren't abandoning the country after their cushy training there'd be no reason to hire lying Nigerians

there I said it!

AckwelFoley

NothingMan wrote: »

He could set up a discount surgery,

Kidney's removed from only $350 per kidney. Act now and recieve a free toaster.



.[/SIZE]

i actually got that email :eek:

kaimera

Wow.

and he didn't even have to send an email asking for bank details.

fire the idiot who hired him as well and take both off the register.

Bob_Harris

[outraged type]
What does the fact that he is from Nigeria have to do with anything?
[/outraged type]

AnonoBoy

neil_hosey

Bob_Harris wrote: »

[outraged type]
What does the fact that he is from Nigeria have to do with anything?
[/outraged type]

because he was nigerian maybe

GavRedKing

Thats it im packing my bags for Nigeria.

Medical council : Do you have surgical experience.

Gavredking : Yes......does cutting a chicken at dinner time count, how hard could operating on a human be?:rolleyes:

AnonoBoy

Bob_Harris wrote: »

[outraged type]
What does the fact that he is from Nigeria have to do with anything?
[/outraged type]

[Even more outraged type]
WHAT THE HELL DOES THE FACT THAT HE'S A MAN HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING????
[/ever more outraged type]

Mena

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/top-doctors-win-battle-to-reverse-misconduct-verdict-1248224.html

Kintarō Hattori

I think the most shocking thing is that he was hired with no background checks done. Who the hell was responsible for hiring this man and do they still have a job?

Dyr

Those wacky nigerians, what will they think of next?

Gone Drinking

Its no uncommon for people to stretch the truth on their cv's..

I mean, i always stick down swimming as a hobby, yet i can't swim!

Give the guy a break lulz

genericguy

instead of paying him he gives you a cheque from king oswaldi osbourneadeji to cash on his behalf.

Mr Benevolent

All aboard the Racism Express!! Irish doctors do that too, you know.

Bob_Harris

Confab wrote: »

All aboard the Racism Express!! Irish doctors do that too, you know.

Link please :pac:

Morlar

The Doctor will see you now.

He lied about having surgical experience, then he lied about having lied about it. How gullible were his colleagues anyway? He should be facing criminal charges in my view.

Victor_M

Bob_Harris wrote: »

Link please :pac:

Hilarious
I was going to type the exact same thing (i.e the standard PC response to anything remotely non PC), don't worry I'm sure he's furiously looking for some sort of link for you:D

General Zod

Victor_M wrote: »

Hilarious
I was going to type the exact same thing (i.e the standard PC response to anything remotely non PC), don't worry I'm sure he's furiously looking for some sort of link for you:D

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. Irish doctors lie too.

xzanti

The 'B' is for Bargain

tallaght01

My name is URL wrote: »

If the poxy Irish doctors weren't abandoning the country after their cushy training there'd be no reason to hire lying Nigerians

there I said it!

I'll make you a deal.

Stop working juniors, including pregnant women, 48 hour shifts and you'll get Irish docs to stay.

In Australia a 24 hour shift is a real oddity, and you often get the next day off if you do one, too.

netwhizkid

If an Irish doctor did this I can guarantee he would be gacing criminal charges and be struck of the registrar. This guy shouldn't be left apply a band aid never mind anything else. He should be sent back to Nigeria and banned from Ireland and left practise his voodo witch doctory somewhere else. Pure and utter Scum. However because he is Nigerian and black all the pinko liberal doogooder idiots will defend him to the death, however how would they life it if a family member or a child died because of him.

Nigerians have a reputation as lying thieving conmen and the likes of this guy does them no favours at all.

Long Onion

What do you call a Nigerian Gyneacologist?



Ans: Pokemon

Long Onion

netwhizkid wrote: »

If an Irish doctor did this I can guarantee he would be gacing criminal charges and be struck of the registrar. This guy shouldn't be left apply a band aid never mind anything else. He should be sent back to Nigeria and banned from Ireland and left practise his voodo witch doctory somewhere else. Pure and utter Scum. However because he is Nigerian and black all the pinko liberal doogooder idiots will defend him to the death, however how would they life it if a family member or a child died because of him.

Nigerians have a reputation as lying thieving conmen and the likes of this guy does them no favours at all.

Yep, you are on the money there alright, anyone who doesn't accept that everyone from Nigeria is a lying cheat is a pinko liberal.:rolleyes:

opinion guy

My name is URL wrote: »

If the poxy Irish doctors weren't abandoning the country after their cushy training there'd be no reason to hire lying Nigerians

there I said it!

Well way to display your ignorance then. Irish doctors leave for the following reasons:
a) the HSE sucks. working in it sucks. you are not given the resources to do your job properly. you are abused on a daily basis. you are required to work up to 60 hours shifts (YES SIXTY). Edit: let me say more about that - in many hospitals currently surgical registrars and shos are required to work entire weekends call. As in start saturday at 9am and go home monday evening at whatever time your team is done. This is not just in the ****ty small hospitals by the way. basically its the common practice. This is illegal in US, Aus and probably most other senssible places

b) the training is better abroad. lots better. this is why for example many irish docs are now preparde dto go to us/canada to train, even thou the pay over there is terrible (as in for training years - maybe 3 to 7 years you are on about $30,000 to $50,000 a year. Interns make more than this here. But its THAT much better over there people will take the massive pay cut. Lots people who have turned down Registrar jobs here to go the US and be an Intern again because they have to to get in US trainging schemes

c) the career progression is more streamlined abroad. you go to US you KNOW that in 3 years you can be an Attending (Consultant) Primary Care Phyiscian, in 4 years you can be an Attending Neurologist, in 4 years you can be dual qualified Attending Physican and Pediatrician, in 5 years (I think) u can be attedning general surgeon - more to specialise. You sign a contract for the entire lenght of your traingin - 3, 4 , 5 years whatever. In Ireland first you do 2 years SHO scheme, usually signing 6 month or 1 year contracts as you go thru rotations. (OH and they've just added an extra year onto surgical sho scheme - meaning those who started this year signing up for 2 year training now have to do 3 years meaning a year extra fees to RCSI and a year extra on lower wages. thats a cosy little arrangement isn't it to stuff over on someone who signed up to something else. What you say you havne't heard this story in the news ? No you won't. Because everyone on thats scheme just puts up with it because to kick up a fuss is to commit career suicide. you just don't cause that kind of problem if you want to get on).you then either take reg job or apply for Specilist Registrar scheme which is required to become consulatnt. SpR scheme is 5 years long. If you surgeon you also hav eto do 2 years reaseach. After all of that, if you are lucky, and not pissed off the wrong egotistical prick along the way, and a job opens up or someone retires/dies you MIGHT get a consultant job. Then again you might just have to wait 5, 10, 15 years for that depending on your specialty. So in Ireland - you just don't know how long it takes to get seniority and there are no guarantees.

Anyhow I believe i've made my point

Degsy

Confab wrote: »

All aboard the Racism Express!! Irish doctors do that too, you know.

Racism?
"Irish" doctors dont have to be white so by accusing them of professional falsehood you're being racist.

biko

"Hi everybody!"

"Hi, Dr. Okwu!"

Captain Furball

He should be deported.Anyone else would be in serious trouble.

segaBOY

Still works as a SHO and general surgeon in Cavan-better hope you don't have a medical card and require surgery!

drkpower

netwhizkid wrote: »

If an Irish doctor did this I can guarantee he would be gacing criminal charges and be struck of the registrar.

No they wouldnt; striking someone off the Register is very much a last resort and is used very rarely. And he definitely wouldnt be facing criminal charges. Id be interested to hear of any similar/analagous cases where someone (regardles of nationality) was struck off/criminal charges were brought. I would be quite confident you wont find any.

Sean Quagmire

I am his cousin and he is a very respected and trusted man okay.
you have nothing to fear becos god must let everything be ok.

Barrister Sean Quagmudeguengo

Sizzler

As part of the surgery consent form you were also asked to supply -

- Your bank account number
- Sort Code
- Online password
- All your PIN's
- Home address

Pygmalion

My name is URL wrote: »

If the poxy Irish doctors weren't abandoning the country after their cushy training there'd be no reason to hire lying Nigerians

there I said it!

But Doctors are public servants.

Someone saying that being an Irish public servant isn't the most desirable job in the world on AH, madness, are we not paying them 8000000 an hour with 364 days off a year?

kowloon

tallaght01 wrote: »

I'll make you a deal.

Stop working juniors, including pregnant women, 48 hour shifts and you'll get Irish docs to stay.

In Australia a 24 hour shift is a real oddity, and you often get the next day off if you do one, too.

I remember being in hospital with DKA a few years back and seeing the same doc over and over again for well over a 24hr period, there was no way he had been home in this period, poor fecker looked worse than I did. If it's not a good idea for people to operate machinery, fly planes and drive buses when tired I don't see why people working in medical occupations shouldn't be subject to an even greater restriction of hours.

walshb

Saltour Sossiez wrote: »

EITHNE DONNELLAN Health Correspondent

A DOCTOR who falsely claimed on his CV that he had nearly 20 months’ surgical experience at a hospital in Nigeria before he took up a job at St Luke’s hospital in Kilkenny was found guilty of professional misconduct yesterday.

The Medical Council’s fitness to practise committee heard that when Dr Okwu Timothy Okwu (35) took up the job in Kilkenny in July 2008 as part of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) two-year basic surgical training scheme, it was noted his experience in surgery didn’t match his CV. He behaved like someone with little or no experience in the field.

However, when consultant surgeon Ian Wilson, who was supervising his training, asked him about this he said it was because the system in Ireland was very different to that in Nigeria. Mr Wilson gave him the benefit of the doubt.
In November 2008, however, it came to light during a routine check by Dan McCarthy, medical manpower manager at St Luke’s, that information on Dr Okwu’s CV was inconsistent with information on his Garda clearance certificate.

That certificate stated he was residing in Dublin in March-April 2006 when his CV claimed he was working as a registrar-senior house officer at the Federal Staff Hospital in Nigeria from April 2006 to December 2007. The CV also gave a long list of surgical cases he would have had experience of, including appendix, breast lumps, hernias and ulcers.
Furthermore, the inquiry heard when Dr Okwu filled out a form for the Medical Council in May 2006, he never mentioned the Federal Staff Hospital but said he was working at a different clinic in Nigeria in April 2006.

In evidence Dr Okwu, who graduated in Nigeria in 2002, said he worked at both hospitals at the same time. He admitted the information in his CV was wrong, but said it was “an honest mistake” in that he was due to work at the Federal Staff Hospital to train in surgery between April 2006 and December 2007, but three weeks into the contract he decided to take study leave and travel to Ireland to pursue his training.
He said it was normal practice in Nigeria to state the full duration of a contract on a CV even if it hadn’t been completed due to study leave. The operations listed on his CV were ones he was “exposed to”, he said.

He apologised and said he had no intention to deceive. It was a pure “typographical error”.
The inquiry was told the RCSI, which had interviewed him for the Kilkenny job, ended his training scheme after six months in December 2008 after learning of the discrepancies in his application. Prof Oscar Traynor of the RCSI said the information in his CV would have been a factor in him gaining a place on the scheme when he was interviewed in February 2008, as there were about 210 applicants for 135 places. He was placed 86th.
He did not accept the suggestion Dr Okwu had made an honest mistake. Neither did Mr Wilson.
Mr Wilson said he had never come across such a case before but had unfortunately seen another similar experience since. In general terms, he added, Dr Okwu was “quite a diligent guy” and was motivated, but was deficient in operative skills. He told the RCSI in November 2008 he was satisfactory with some caveats and suitable for further training.
Dr Okwu said he had tried to get several jobs since his training scheme had ended. He applied for jobs in Limerick, Drogheda and Portlaoise and was offered posts but then somebody gave a reference that he was “dangerous”, he said, and he was not given the jobs. Recently took up a job as a senior house officer in Cavan, where he works with a general surgeon.
There were no clinical incidents as a result of Dr Okwu’s practice in Kilkenny but concerns were expressed by nurses who observed him at close quarters.
The fitness to practise committee found him guilty of professional misconduct and recommended he be censured. His name will remain on the medical register.




.

Nigerian pulls a scam? That can't be right!:rolleyes:

orourkeda

Were female genital mutilations his speciality?

walshb

Sean Quagmire wrote: »

I am his cousin and he is a very respected and trusted man okay.
you have nothing to fear becos god must let everything be ok.

Barrister Sean Quagmudeguengo

Tell me you're takin' the piss?

netwhizkid

walshb wrote: »

Tell me you're takin' the piss?

lol!

http://www.brainclouds.org/pdf/homer_simpson_xray.jpg

Mrmoe

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Its no uncommon for people to stretch the truth on their cv's..

I mean, i always stick down swimming as a hobby, yet i can't swim!

Give the guy a break lulz

You are not a lifeguard or swimming instructor by any chance are you?

walshb

netwhizkid wrote: »

lol!

http://www.brainclouds.org/pdf/homer_simpson_xray.jpg

I would still rather the "Barrister" come on to clear it up:)