Failure to answer pager criticised

THE REPEATED failure of a doctor to answer a cardiac pager at Galway University Hospital was “highly irresponsible”, consultants told a Medical Council fitness-to-practise inquiry yesterday.

Dr Onada Olajide Onada (40), who worked as a senior house officer from August 2010 to January 2011, faces seven allegations of professional misconduct.

Among the allegations were failure to respond to his pager on one or more occasions and that he had engaged in harassing, inappropriate or intimidating email or SMS communications with up to four female colleagues.

He was dismissed from the hospital after disciplinary meetings.

Dr Maccon Keane, consultant oncologist at the hospital, said he was “extremely disturbed” by the alleged failure of Dr Onada to answer the cardiac page or to pass it to a colleague on November 10th, 2010, at the “major cardiac unit for the west of Ireland”.

Dr Keane said he “did not care” about Dr Onada’s reasoning that he left to catch a flight as the pager could have been given to an appropriately qualified colleague and “if you have to stay you have to stay”.

He described Dr Onada’s contention that he left the pager with the medical secretary as “highly irresponsible” and “negligent”.

Hospital voice communications manager Angela Rowan told the inquiry that on November 10th she looked for and found the cardiac pager unattended in a ward after many attempts to bleep it between 8.38am and 10.15am.

Her team tried the pager in a daily test message but there was no response. It is tested daily as it is “so important”, she said.

On cross-examination by Dr Onada, who is representing himself, Ms Rowan said pagers can malfunction but she had tested the cardiac pager Dr Onada had left three times after getting it back and it worked.

Dr Onada, who was on shift until 9am, said he was “technically” not supposed to answer bleeps after 9am.

The failure to respond to a cardiac bleep was “highly irresponsible” and underestimated the significance of the situation, consultant haematologist Dr Amjad Hayat said yesterday.

Dr Hayat outlined a complaint received from Dr M about inappropriate text and graphic messages which offended her. Dr M, who has given her evidence in private to the inquiry, received the messages after going for a drink with Dr Onada. When asked about it Dr Onada said the messages were a joke or banter, Dr Hayat said.

Dr Hayat advised him not to do it again.The case continues today.