Not only has the case of the suspended surgeon unsettled patients and doctors alike, it has also weakened the relationship between them, said AMMD president Chris Roller on Thursday.
On 22 January, Dr Philippe Wilmes was suspended for three months by Minister of Health Martine Deprez over concerns he had conducted unnecessary knee operations, leaving patients with physical and emotional difficulties, and giving rise to accusations of mutilation.
While the AMMD president agrees that patients must be protected, he said the manner in which the situation had been dealt with had left much to be desired, while he also criticised the publication of Dr Wilmes’ name. His colleagues were now unsettled, having second thoughts about their actions as they are worried about unexpected dismissal. Meanwhile, patients are now questioning doctors’ recommendations.
Dr Roller criticised the fact that Dr Wilmes was not being listened to. He also echoed questions submitted by the Greens’ Djuna Bernard in a parliamentary question, asking how the health minister planned to justify her decision in light of new information. “It’s just a mess,” he said.
The Medical College has opted to keep the complaints against Dr Wilmes anonymous to protect the complainants from potential repercussions. In a legal note for the AMMD, lawyer François Prum said this could not explain why the defendant had not been heard, and why no expert legal opinion had been sought on the matter.
Dr Roller explained that Prum is also Dr Wilmes’ lawyer and has represented the AMMD since last autumn, after his predecessor entered retirement. This connection, however, does not signify that the AMMD is supporting Dr Wilmes.
Dr Roller also touched upon the ongoing negotiations with the National Health Fund, after the AMMD terminated their agreement with the CNS last year. Several meetings have taken place since December, which he described as “positive”. Both sides have agreed not to make any details public yet. But legal adjustments will be needed before things can move forward.
As for the AMMD’s demands for more autonomy over tariffs, Dr Roller said he would like there to be no tariffs at all for selected procedures. He added that progress in medicine is fast-moving and they could not offer things which are not covered by the nomenclature.
The AMMD president reiterated the associations’ call for more decentralisation in medical care, and outpatient treatment in doctors’ practices, as set out in the CSV-DP coalition agreement. This would get the issue “halfway there”, he said.
