Sir, I note the letter from Jean Crawford on December 17th concerning the screening of doctors for Hepatitis B and HIV. The author, who states that she is from a non medical background, gives the opinion that it should be compulsory for all doctors working in hospitals to be screened for these two conditions.
The Irish Medical Organisation is very concerned about patient safety and believes that all necessary measures should be implemented to prevent patients contracting these viruses from health care workers. Likewise, we are also concerned that healthcare workers are protected from contracting these viruses from patients in the course of their work. In relation to HIV, there is no evidence to date of a doctor infecting a patient, whereas numerous health care workers, worldwide, have contracted HIV from their patients.
The Department of Health has issued a circular to all health agencies introducing Hepatitis B Screening for new employees to posts involving exposure prone procedures. The IMO regrets that this decision was taken unilaterally, without consultation with the appropriate health care workers and their representative bodies.
This screening measure does not address, in an adequate manner, the protection of health care workers from these viruses. Nor does it address issues such as confidentiality, retraining or future employment of doctors who test positive during the screening process. The IMO considers that these matters must be addressed as quickly as possible, and before the introduction of any screening process. - Yours, etc.,
President,
Irish Medical Organisation, 10 Fitzwilliam Place,
Dublin 2.