The Order of Doctors announced this Thursday, April 9, the opening of an investigation into a doctor from Benavente, in the district of Santarém, for allegedly receiving undue funds to enable disability retirement.
Or case, released on Wednesday by SICreveals an alleged scheme in which the doctor would charge around a thousand euros to facilitate disability retirement processes, having managed, in a single public company, for dozens of workers to retire due to disability.
For the Medical Association (OM), the facts revealed in the report, which involve a doctor from Benavente, who charged undue and undeclared payments to facilitate disability retirement processes, “indicate alleged practices that are seriously harmful to ethics and medical deontology”.
“The Medical Association condemns any action that instrumentalizes the medical act for purposes unrelated to the interests of patients, clinical rigor and compliance with the law”, states the president of the OM, in a note.
Carlos Cortes emphasizes that “the use of professional status to obtain undue advantages, if confirmed, constitutes an intolerable ethical violation and a very serious breach of trust that society places on the medical profession”.
According to OM, the Disciplinary Council of the Southern Regional Council immediately opened a disciplinary process in accordance with the Statute of the Medical Association, which intends to rigorously investigate all facts.
“Only after the criminal investigation, which is ongoing, has been completed, will the Medical Association be able to act ethically and deontologically”, he highlights.
Until then, the Order of Doctors expresses its full availability to collaborate with the Public Ministry, Social Security and other institutions involvedcontributing to the full clarification of the situation and the accountability of all those involved.
It warns that the issuance of clinical opinions must comply exclusively with scientific and ethical criteria and recalls that any form or indication of influence peddling or obtaining illegitimate benefits is incompatible with the practice of Medicine.
“Citizens’ trust in the health system also depends on the integrity of its professionals”, he highlights.
The Medical Association states that, whatever the outcome of the ongoing investigations, will propose the strengthening of supervision and audit mechanisms for medical acts related to medical boards and disability retirement processes, in conjunction with the responsible public entities.
He also assures that “he will continue to act with transparency, rigor and determination, ensuring that medical practice remains at the service of ethics, science and the protection of citizens”.
SIC Investigation was aware that in recent years, Dozens of Carris workers turned to this doctor.
Contacted by SIC, the company reveals that it effectively identified “continued and apparently anomalous growth in disability retirement processes” and that, therefore, it presented a criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
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