Medical community reaches out to Europa Donna over malpractice claims
THE MEDICAL community has been up in arms over allegations made by breast cancer organisation Europa Donna this week.
Botched breast operations, lack of information and treatment options given to women, and repeated violations of patient rights by carrying out unnecessary mastectomies were among the Europa Donna president Stella Kyriakidou’s claims.
The Cyprus Surgeons Association accused Europa Donna of creating upheaval and panic among patients instead of ensuring they are supported psychologically – which it said was the organisation’s exclusive role.
The association yesterday issued an announcement saying that the Cyprus’ medical services were as good as their European equivalents and that Cypriot surgeons were completely qualified to implement international instructions when it comes to breast cancer.
The Cyprus Medical Association went a step further, describing Europa Donna’s actions as “unacceptable”; though the head of the association, Andreas Demetriou, said that he would invite the breast cancer lobby group to discuss the claims over unacceptable behaviour by doctors.
Demetriou expressed his disapproval over the way the matter was presented and said he found it hard to believe that mastectomies would have taken place without reason.
“We can’t condemn or victimise anyone through the media,” said Demetriou. “There are the relevant bodies to which one can turn so that the situation can be fixed and responsibilities found. We can’t speak of unacceptable actions by doctors and not bring specific cases to be investigated and resolved.”
He said his association had not received any complaints, which was why he would invite Europa Donna to a meeting for more details so the cases can be examined.
“If something like this is really taking place, we are a responsible body and we want to investigate it,” said Demetriou. “We don’t accept it being said that unnecessary mastectomies are taking place. If something like this has indeed taken place, the doctor is guilty and he must be prosecuted.”
But he added, “What I would agree with Mrs Kyriakidou out of everything that has been said, is that the patient should be well informed on their illness. If this is not taking place then it is something that we are also against and we want to fight”.
Demetriou said the Medical Association encouraged doctors to inform patients on any surgeries that need to take place.
He said he too was shocked by the allegations, but wasn’t convinced that they were indeed true. “I don’t believe nor could I be convinced that someone would do a mastectomy without having a positive prognosis of breast cancer,” he pointed out.
Stella Kyriakidou yesterday said her association would respond positively to the Medical Association’s invitation and after seeking the advice of their legal advisers and the women that made the complaints, would give the relevant evidence for investigation.
“We came out and said it because it pained us to receive visits and phone calls from women to our association, saying they were being treated this way,” said Kyriakidou.
She said the names of the women weren’t announced because of personal data protection, not because they were untrue.
“We gather information and evidence; we don’t just come out and make accusations. It was a conscious decision.
“We decided that we finally had to come out and show to the outside world what our own eyes are seeing and what the affected woman is seeing when she stands in front of the mirror. Yes, we admit we wanted to shock.”
Kyriakidou said there were extremely good doctors in Cyprus and the women needed to take on their responsibilities too. “They need to seek these doctors out. Some have suffered, being told they would be operated on the next day and not knowing what [operations would be]for and how they would emerge from surgery. Enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, Health Minister Christos Patsalides said the names of the doctors who stand accused needed to be made public.
“If there are doctors operating like this, they are dangerous. We can’t simply make such an accusation and leave it at that,” he said yesterday.
“As Health Minister, I can’t feel that someone is operating dangerously at the expense of the people’s health and not know who he is. As a ministry we have an obligation to spot these people and fix the problem,” Patsalides concluded.
