Doctor showed ‘worrying’ pattern of mistakes, hearing told

A trainee psychiatrist displayed a "worrying" pattern of mistakes involving poor professional performance, a Medical Council disciplinary hearing has been told.

Dr Paul Scully, consultant psychiatrist at St James's Hospital, said many of the allegations against Dr Muthulingam Kasiraj involved serious failings and a pattern of carelessness or lack of attention. It was the pattern of repeated failings that was of most concern rather than any single error, he told a fitness to practise hearing.

Dr Kasiraj, who prefers to be known as Dr Sripathy, faces over 20 allegations of professional misconduct or poor professional performance.

The hearing was told on Friday Dr Sripathy was unaware of the basics of life support and did not know how to call 999. He was also allegedly unable to conduct a neurological examination and did not appear to know what herpes simplex, a cold sore, was.

Dr Sripathy, a 36-year-old Indian national who received his medical qualification in Bulgaria in 2005, was granted the right to practise in Ireland by the Medical Council in 2012.

He worked in the child and adolescent psychiatric services in Mullingar in the first six months of 2013 before securing a position in the town at St Loman’s Hospital, a general adult psychiatric facility.

Dr Scully described Dr Sripathy’s inability to carry out a neurological examination on a patient as a serious case of poor professional performance. It was a basic requirement of any psychiatrist to be able to carry out this examination, he said.

He described the an alleged failure of Dr Sripathy to follow direct instructions from a supervisor as a serious failing and said it was very rare for this to occur in psychiatry.

Mr Scully pointed out there was a shortfall in the supply of junior doctors as Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for training diminished. Only half of the 700 interns who completed their medical training last year had stayed in the country.

Dr Sripathy has been diagnosed with anankastic disorder, an obsessive compulsive personality condition for which he has received treatment, counselling and medication.

Dr Sripathy, who is representing himself, has said a number of allegations made against him were made at his first time on call.

He has rejected a claim that he did not know how to make a neurological examination, but was unsure of the hospital’s style of assessment.

The inquiry is expected to conclude on Monday.