GESTIÓN EN SALUD PÚBLICA: BioEdge: British surgeon censured for branding patients’ livers

BioEdge: British surgeon censured for branding patients’ livers

Bioedge

British surgeon censured for branding patients’ livers

by Michael Cook | 27 Jan 2018 |

Dr Simon Bramhall

A British surgeon who branded the livers of two of his patients with his own initials has been fined £10,000 and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service. Dr Simon Bramhall, a liver, spleen and pancreas surgeon, admitted the two incidents, which occurred in 2013. His registration has not been suspended. He now works for the National Health Service in Herefordshire.

Although he seared his initials into the surface of the liver, no physical harm was suffered by the patients. In sentencing the surgeon, the judge said:

“Both of the operations were long and difficult. I accept that on both occasions you were tired and stressed and I accept that this may have affected your judgment. This was conduct born of professional arrogance of such magnitude that it strayed into criminal behaviour.

“What you did was an abuse of power and a betrayal of trust that these patients had invested in you. I accept that you didn’t intend or foresee anything but the most trivial of harm would be caused.”

Saturday, January 27, 2018

This week’s announcement by Chinese scientists that they had cloned macaque monkeys prompted a walk down memory lane for me. The scientists aver that they have no interest whatsoever in human cloning. One must take them at their word, I suppose, but the impulse to clone humans is a recurring lunacy.

Remember the Raelians? In 2002 Rael, the French-Canadian founder of the sect which believes that mankind was created by extraterrestrials and that cloning is a way to immortality, announced that his scientists had cloned a baby.

Remember Severino Antinori? The Italian gynaecologist announced that he had cloned babies in 2002. No proof was ever given. He is currently battling charges of kidnapping and forcibly removing eight eggs from a Spanish nurse.

Remember Hwang Woo-suk? The veterinary scientist claimed that he had cloned human embryos in 2004 and was featured on a South Korean stamp. Much of his work was fraudulent.

Remember Panayiotis Zavos? The Cypriot-American claimed in 2009 that he had implanted cloned 14 embryos and implanted them in four women. He has faded from the limelight in recent years.

I would wager that if the Chinese experiment is confirmed, there will be another wave of cloning attempts by rogue scientists. Watch this space.