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Doc denies responsibility for death
Published on: 9/23/2009.
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT (ENT) specialist Dr Dennis Bailey maintained yesterday that the death of 30-year-old Anthea Burgess who died on his operating table two years ago was avoidable.
However, he distanced himself from a draft statement which he submitted to his attorney about the events surrounding the day Burgess died, saying that statement was never part of his report which he subsequently submitted to the police.
Dr Bailey was being questioned on Monday by attorney-at-law Ralph Thorne, QC, who is representing Dr Adele Bell, who assisted Bailey during the surgical procedure.
Thorne asked the doctor if he wrote anything in the statement which was not true, to which the doctor replied: "No".
He then asked him to read the last paragraph of the statement.
He read: "I take full responsibility. I am the surgeon in charge. I deeply regret the loss of her life, which was avoidable".
"What do you take full responsibility for?" Thorne asked the doctor repeatedly.
Bailey stated that he was not standing by the document, pointing out that it was never part of his report to the police and that he had prepared it only to be perused by his attorney.
Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris then interjected and asked the doctor if he wanted to change the statements which read that he took full responsibility as the surgeon in charge and that Burgess' death was avoidable.
Bailey responded "I felt overall that her death was avoidable".
"Do you today still take full responsibility for the loss of this lady's life?" asked Thorne.
"No, I do not," Bailey said.
6 comment found!
Reply to BajanJoy : 9/24/2009
To Bajanjoy of NY, I am feedup of bajans living in the USA who make little contribution to the development of this nation but stay afar and criticize what is happening in Barbados. If you want to examine medical malpractice I suggest you look at your adopted home. The Michael jackson case is a classic case recently brought to light but the same thing happens all over the USA. While the majority of doctors are highly trained and competent, you will find some level of incompetency in the medical profession worldwide.
: 9/23/2009
A Minister of Government is supposed to take responsibility for what goes on in his/her Department, but do they? Nobody wants to take responsibility for anything that goes wrong these days. If it goes right they want all the glory.
: 9/23/2009
As a Barbadian living abroad, we always profess to others how progressive Barbados is as a small country. However having said that. It seem that the medical professionals in Barbados have no checks and balances in place to make sure no harm comes to its citizens by these professionals. Their should be a database set up where one should be able to look up the records of any doctor practicing on the island. The records would include Medical malpractice claims and payments, medical license revocations or suspensions over the years, specialty credentials, affiliated hospitals or clinics in BIM or abroad, as well as Information about doctors criminal convictions and disciplinary actions. Until this is done doctors in Barbados will continue to kill and maime people. I hope for the sake of the ones that can no longer speak for themselves, as well as the ones that are suffering because of callous doctors. The people of Barbados will wake up and begin to question their doctors when making visits to them, or getting a medical procedure done. If a doctor cannot or will not answer your questions, or are being evasive about his practices. Then bolt and seek another one. Always go into any doctors office with a list of question you need answered especially if he is new to you, even if he is referred to you by someone you know or not. The life you save might be your own. Bajanjoy,N.Y.
: 9/23/2009
A captain of a ship and a pilot takes full responsibility for the safety and well being of his or her passengers.
: 9/23/2009
When something goes wrong in surgery/medicine no one wants to take responsibility but at least having this coroner's inquest will hopefully bring out the truth about what happened to Anthea also I hope lessons are learnt in that doctors do not undertake procedures there are not experience enough in doing safety should be te number one priority also it is not always good to take unnecessary risky surgery in a local clinic/surgery at times hospital is a better setting. The problm also is no surgery is simple all surgery is dangerious as you never know how an individual will react to the medication use the procedure etc. However this is were all risk should be minimise whereby knowing what to do in emergency should something go wrong as things can go wrong wihout anyone being at fault
: 9/23/2009
This case have so much implications. Dr. Belle yesterday made some admissions that I do not think will do her case and her career as a doctor much justice. Now today Dr. Bailey seems to be in denial of his " I take full responsibility..." statement. He obviously realises that the evidence is becoming quite overwhelming in the case of Dr. Belle since by her own admission of ignorance and gross negligence, she knowingly confessed that she is not trained anaesthesilogist. This obviously has provided an ooportunity of escape for Dr. Bailey.
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