Whistle-blowing doc said he was not punished

Fri Jun 23, 2006
Whistle-blowing doc said he was not punished

Head of the Ophthalmology Department at the Kingston Public Hospital
(KPH), Dr. Albert Lue, has moved to clarify reports that he has been
removed from the team involved in the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care Programme.

Dr. Lue was responsible for bringing to national attention serious
complications suffered by patients following surgery in Cuba.

Earlier this week the Jamaica Labour Party raised concerns about what it
said was Dr. Lue's removal from the team which screens and reviews
patients who go to Cuba.

Dr. Lue told the RJR News Centre that since he went public with the
issue there have been changes to the programm. "Since this problem
started a few weeks ago, they have stopped coming down to the KPH…to see
these patients and they have moved up to Old Hope Road – The Society for
the Blind office."

But Dr. Lue, who says he is hoping for a speedy resolution, is of the
view that the Cuban doctors are merely trying to avoid a confrontation
on the issue. "They are trying to avoid personal confrontation, which,
of course, I don't think is…necessary. Because the problem is not here
in Jamaica. The problems are in Cuba where the operations are being done.

"So I am hoping that we will get together again to reconcile this problem."

The Health Ministry has repeatedly defended the programme, arguing that
the level of post surgery complications is well within the accepted norm.

However it has stopped Jamaicans from going to one centre in Cuba which
it admitted had a higher than expected number of complications.

http://www.radiojamaica.com/news/story.php?category=2&story=25672