The inquiry involved a mainland couple’s negligence complaint against Baptist Hospital paediatrician Sit Sou-chi, after their newborn son developed cerebral palsy.
Handing down the verdict, the head of the medical watchdog’s inquiry panel, Grace Tang, said professional misconduct is a serious allegation and that Sit’s testimony was not credible.
Tang said a nurse had informed Sit in the early morning of December 22, 2009, that the boy had developed a seizure, showing she was worried about the boy’s situation.
If the boy was merely choking as Sit had said, the nurse could have handled the case on her own instead of calling the doctor late at night, she said.
Tang also said epilepsy in newborns could be very serious and even life-threatening, and Sit should have examined the patient personally instead of relying on the nurse’s statement.
She said the paediatrician had failed to carry out necessary examinations after the boy first developed a seizure, which constituted professional misconduct.
Speaking to the media after the ruling, the boy’s father said the family had waited 16 years for the result, adding that the inquiry’s delay was unfair to the complainant.
“A fair disciplinary system should not force complainants to wait for years, go through numerous setbacks, and even have to trigger significant public attention before justice is finally served,” he said.
“We hope the Medical Council, after the upcoming reform, can handle complaints against doctors more fairly to protect the public.”
The father added that he believes the nine-month suspension of Sit’s registration was appropriate, and the family could finally have closure.
In a statement, the government said it respects the Medical Council’s judgment, adding that the conclusion of the inquiry could help clarify the facts of the incident and relieve the pressure on both the doctor and the boy’s family.
The authorities said relevant departments would continue to follow up on the boy’s medical and welfare needs.