Former county surgeon in Viagra case suspended
A FORMER north Cumbrian surgeon who prescribed himself the sex drug Viagra because he was too busy to see his doctor has escaped being struck off.
But Dr Jonathan Bala has been suspended for 12 months after a medical watchdog decided his fitness to practise had been impaired by his actions.
The Nigerian-born medic had used his sister-in-law’s name to obtain the drug while he was working at a hospital in north Wales.
He was given a six-month suspended prison sentence by a court for obtaining property by deception in March last year.
But he failed to declare his conviction to the General Medical Council, then lied about the criminal proceedings when he took up a post with the North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven.
Details of his deception emerged during a GMC fitness to practise panel hearing in Manchester last week.
The panel, chaired by Dr Timothy Howard, found the 43-year-old’s conviction and dishonesty undermined public perception of the profession.
Dr Bala, an intestinal surgeon who came to the UK from Nigeria in October 2000, had claimed he was under severe emotional and physical stress when he prescribed himself the drugs following family bereavements.
The fact he was regularly working 84-hour weeks in the accident and emergency department at Llandudno was also highlighted as a factor. He said he was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and impotence.
Dr Bala, who was understood to be working in Cumbria when caught, admitted he had made a mistake and told the hearing: “I sincerely feel sorry for that.”
But the panel issued a damning conclusion, saying: “Having considered your witness statement and your oral evidence, the panel was not satisfied that you expressed true remorse or insight into your behaviour. However, the panel made allowance for the difficulties that may be experienced by an overseas doctor.”
Dr Bala, of Ormskirk, Lancashire, had been caught out when a pharmacist at Asda became suspicious of the prescription he was trying obtain in October 2006.
He had already managed to get hold of Viagra – as well as drugs for his diabetes and high blood pressure – on two previous occasions, using the name Billie Joshua.
Related posts:
- Shy doc posed as woman
- Boys Kicked Out Of School for Taking Viagra
- Levitra Improves Erectile Function
- Viagra ingredient in Chinese supplements
- Viagra Linked To Sudden Hearing Loss
Comments
Leave a Reply