A doctor has been found guilty of professional misconduct over his failure to notify the Medical Council that he had been refused registration by its UK counterpart due to his repeated failure to pass an exam to test his medical competence.
A medical inquiry found a series of allegations proven against non-consultant hospital doctor, Mohamed Akasha, in relation to false declarations he made to the Medical Council in both 2019 and 2020 in annual registration renewal forms.
A fitness-to-practise committee heard evidence that forms submitted by Dr Akasha indicated that he had never been refused registration or a practice licence by medical authorities in another jurisdiction.
However, it was confirmed that his application for registration in the UK had been refused by the General Medical Council (GMC) in 2018 after he had failed to meet the pass standard in a clinical assessment test on five occasions over a three-year period.
The inquiry heard that the GMC was also concerned that Dr Akasha’s work experience was “very short and fragmented” while his continuous professional development record was not considered “sufficiently broad based.”
Dr Akasha – who qualified as a doctor in Sudan in 2007 – told the inquiry that his ex-wife, who had access to his accounts and passwords, had filled out the relevant part of the online forms with the incorrect information out of malice and in an attempt to destroy his medical career.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, however, the chairperson of the inquiry, Ronan Quirke, said the explanation about his wife’s role in filling out the forms was “entirely incredible and implausible” as well as being “entirely illogical and nonsensical.”
Mr Quirke pointed out that if the doctor’s ex-wife had really wanted the Medical Council to know about the fact that he had been refused registration by the GMC she would have answered the relevant question differently.
He said the fitness-to-practise committee had no doubt that Dr Akasha had knowingly and deliberately misled the Medical Council.
Mr Quirke said such an action had deprived the Medical Council of making appropriate inquiries to see if Dr Akasha was suitable to be registered to practice medicine in Ireland as well as the opportunity of taking further steps to protect the public.
He claimed the committee had been “troubled” by the doctor’s evidence and the manifest lack of insight he had shown.
Mr Quirke observed that Dr Akasha could not explain why he had never changed his passwords to prevent his wife having access to his accounts, even though he claimed he had reported the matter to gardaí in Mallow, Co Cork in 2019.
The committee also found that Dr Akasha had contravened Section 55 (6) of the Medical Practitioners Act over his failure to notify the Medical Council of any matter which would be likely to affect his continuing registration as a medical practitioner within 30 days.
Mr Quirke said the inquiry was satisfied that Dr Akasha had twice withheld relevant information knowingly and deliberately from the Medical Council which represented professional misconduct.
He said such action was disgraceful and dishonourable as well as falling short of the standards expected of registered doctors.
Dr Akasha, who is based in Cavan, was informed that the findings and the recommended sanction, which was not made public, would be forwarded to the Medical Council for determination.
The inquiry, which was held in September, heard that Dr Akasha had worked in a public hospital and had claimed in a registration form that his work was based in Co Laois.
