Channel 7 Today Tonight (Adelaide)

The Medical Board - 20 April 2005

This version of the transcript has been edited by Dr Robert N Moles

In order of appearance

Leigh McClusky, Presenter
Prof Ross Kalucy, Former President Medical Board
Graham Archer, producer and interviewer
Dave Wright, husband of breast cancer victim Dorothy
Peter Humphries, Solicitor, Duncan, Basheer and Hannon
Nick Xenophon, Independent Member of the Legislative Council

Program

Leigh McCluskey

To the scandal plagued South Australian Medical Board. News today that the Board is using our court system to try and cover up its involvement in yet another disturbing medical blunder involving a drug using doctor and the death of a patient.

Prof Ross Kalucy

Doctors displaying abhorrent behaviour would be picked up like that [clicks fingers].

Graham Archer

That's the rock solid assurance from former President of the Medical Board of South Australia, Professor Ross Kalucy - that you can sleep easy that they're looking after your interests. Yet, as we at Today Tonight already know, it's an air of confidence far removed from the reality.

Dave Wright

As far as I'm concerned the Medical Board is the doctors' union and to put it in blunt Australian language, it's to cover their arse. That's it. That's the Medical Board's job.

Graham Archer

And there are numerous cases which give rise to that perception such as that of Dorothy Wright who died of breast cancer and blames the hormone replacement drug she was prescribed. What you're saying is she was given no information about any side effects?

Dave Wright

Any side effects? No side effect information at all.

Graham Archer

But their complaint to the Medical Board went largely unheeded.

Dave Wright

We had to find out everything ourselves - the whole box and dice from woe to go. We got no assistance from the Medical Board at all.

Graham Archer

You lost a wife. It doesn't sound like they lost a wink of sleep over it.

Dave Wright

No - I wouldn’t think it bothered them at all.

Graham Archer

And there are many more examples. Last year we revealed the appalling case of Dr Steven Rabone, accused of infecting his own unsuspecting patients with potentially fatal Hepatitis C by injecting their pain killers himself and then turning the contaminated needles on them.

Reporter

[File tape – on the street] No need to run away sir, we just want to ask you some questions about your drug addiction and some patients who have complained that you gave them Hepatitis C by sharing needles with them sir.

Graham Archer

When the shattered patients like Tony - now over a dozen of them - approached the Medical Board for their records on Dr Rabone, the watchdog showed its true pedigree - fighting tooth and claw to deny access to the vital information.

Peter Humphries

Well it sounds emotive, but I think it's disgraceful.

Graham Archer

Well, this week finds the scandal-ridden Medical Board, along with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, effectively hiding behind a doctor's suppression orders, this time over yet another case. In this instance, explosive and extremely disturbing issues have been raised by the Coroner Wayne Chivell over the death of a patient involving a drug using doctor who would seem to perfectly fit the bill as defined by doctor Prof Ross Kalucy, but we can't tell you anything about it yet.

Prof Ross Kalucy

Doctors displaying abhorrent behaviour would be picked up like that [clicks fingers].

Graham Archer

It's been a shameful exercise in trying to keep secret some troubling aspects of the Board's involvement in this tragic case from the public of South Australia. Even the Coroner himself strongly believes it is in the public interest. Yet when the doctor has gone running with his lawyers to a High Court to stop you from hearing about it, the Medical Board, through its Government appointed lawyer, is happy to support that suppression. Just whose side is the Government on?

There's currently a Parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of the Board. Here's what Independent MP Nick Xenophon thinks.

Nick Xenophon MLC

These are very serious matters. It concerns the safety of the public in a very fundamental way and our health system. We've seen what's happened in Queensland. I believe that we are headed down the path of a judicial inquiry unless we get some decent answers.

Graham Archer

For just on a year, Health Minister, Lea Stevens has been sitting on her hands over the disgraceful way the Board has handled the appalling case of the drug dependent Dr Steven Rabone. Maybe it's time Premier Mike Rann gave her a wake-up call.

Prof Ross Kalucy

No, no, stop them. Stop the cameras. Or else I'd walk out.

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