A Spanish-trained surgeon who removed the wrong kidney from a patient in central Queensland is to have his registration reviewed by the Medical Board of Australia (MBA).
Dr Antonio Vega Vega was stood down from the Rockhampton Hospital last week amid claims he botched a number of operations.
The hospital has since launched investigations into another three operations by Dr Vega Vega.
In one operation, a patient’s artery was nicked and he was transported to Brisbane for treatment after returning to Rockhampton Hospital suffering from major blood loss.
Yesterday, the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Board announced the hospital’s acting executive director of medical services and director of surgery had both been sacked.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is also investigating.
Queensland Health said yesterday Dr Vega Vega trained in Spain as a urologist.
He came to Australia for two years for further training and gained Australian qualifications in 2011.
Dr Vega Vega was a visiting medical officer who worked in the public and private systems.
He has also worked at Rockhampton’s Mater Hospital, but he voluntarily suspended himself from operations there.
The Mercy Health and Aged Care service says the surgeon has treated more than 800 patients at the hospital and a review found no unusual or concerning clinical outcomes.
Rockhampton Hospital ‘safe for surgery’
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Board chairman Charles Ware says Rockhampton Hospital is still a safe place to have surgery.
“The board will not put up with surgical incompetence,” he said.
“We don’t do cover-up … as an organisation we’ve got to confront these issues, learn from them and move forward.
“That’s how we’re going to do good health care in central Queensland.”
The MBA, the body in charge of doctor registrations, says it is aware of the issues surrounding surgeon Dr Vega Vega and a number of operations conducted at Rockhampton Hospital.
The board will not put up with surgical incompetence… We don’t do cover-up.”
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Board chairman Charles Ware
It says it has taken immediate action in reviewing the case as a priority, and will assess the risk and decide how to best protect the public.
The MBA says it has received more important information from Queensland Health.
Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) president-elect Dr Shaun Rudd says the investigation has been handled well.
“I think that it’s being dealt with very speedily and very appropriately and I think that it’s important the public are safe,” he said.
“It’s important to say that the proper investigation to see who exactly is at fault and any problems there are, are fixed as quickly as possible.”
Dr Rudd says he does not believe the incident has tarnished the reputation of international doctors.
“I think that these incidents are unfortunate – they’ve happened before in other jurisdictions,” he said.
“The most important thing is to find the reason for it, to find out why it’s happened and the reasons for it, and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Source: ABC