The young medical intern who caused ructions at Faro Hospital after calling out several cases of perceived medical malpractice has been facing a trial for defamation (since October 1) which is due to hear final arguments next week.
Diana Pereira, 29, went to PJ police in April 2023 with her complaints after three patients died following surgical procedures at the hospital, two were admitted to intermediate care and six others suffered bodily injuries such as “accidental castration, the loss of a kidney and the need for a colostomy bag for the rest of their lives”.
IGAS (the general inspectorate of health activities) found “solid evidence of irregularities” in six of the cases analysed last year, when it opened disciplinary procedures against two of the Faro surgical bloc’s doctors, but the hospital itself has refuted IGAS’ conclusions.
And while the the doctor’s original criminal complaint is still essentially ‘open’, Diana Pereira is being judged for defamation.
As her lawyer Francisco Teixeira de Mota has lamented: “People who challenge established systems and go against vested interests are inevitably sacrificed.”
This week, Diana Pereira made a statement, in which she stressed that all she ever wanted was for Faro Hospital to function well and for people living in the Algarve “not to be afraid to go there”.
Just the last part of that sentence harks back to an opinion article written by a Portuguese doctor, living and working in the UK, who referred to “praying” that he never required surgery when he travelled to the Algarve, as he did not want to end up in Faro Hospital.
Indeedm Dr José Ponte’s article suggested that “the true extent of the problem goes far beyond Diana Pereira’s denunciation and can never be accurately evaluated given that there is no honest and effective auditing of the services. And I don’t think the Ordem dos Médicos (Order of Phsyicians) “investigating” the problem will take any other attitude than one of compromise with established power”.
In court this month, the young doctor has described how in the three months she spent at Faro Hospital, she took part in more than 180 surgeries, mostly as an assistant doctor, but sometimes as the main surgeon. In just a month and a half of training, she performed nine laparoscopic appendectomies (removal of the appendix using a minimally invasive surgical technique), including on children and as the lead surgeon, almost always accompanied by her supervisor, whose competence she came to question. Dr Pereira told the court that she reached a point of ‘exhaustion’ after witnessing several cases of alleged malpractice by her supervisor that she could no longer ‘go along’ with such situations as she felt this made her an accomplice.
Her clinical director at the time, Horácio Guerreiro, was also been heard by the court, confirming that he had requested a psychiatric evaluation of the young doctor, ‘who had even played music to some patients during the night’.
“It’s not normal to have someone in the hospital who makes patients dance at midnight,” he considered.
The trial has thus heard from multiple sources – all because the former head of surgery at Faro Hospital believes that Diana Pereira’s intial allegations damaged his good name and reputation.
Closing arguments have been set for Tuesday next week from 13.45.
Sources: Sábado/ Correio da Manhã/ NiT/ Postal.pt
