South African Medical Association condemns high court murder charges against Prof Beale.
SAMA condemns high court murder charges against Prof Beale.
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) condemns in the strongest terms the charging of paediatric surgeon Professor Peter Beale for murder and fraud. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed the charges against Prof Beale on Wednesday.
Prof Beale is accused of intentionally causing the death of 10-year-old Zayyaan Sayed upon whom he performed a laparoscopic operation for reflux in 2019. According to news reports, Prof Beale is also accused of fraud in that he “unlawfully and with intention to defraud, gave out and misrepresented … the pathology of a distal esophageal biopsy.”
“We previously condemned the manner in which Prof Beale and anaesthetist Dr Abdulhay Munshi were treated by authorities. The charging of Prof Beale is yet another incomprehensible action by authorities. No physician will ever willfully or with intent cause any harm to a patient; what happened in this operating room must form the basis of a Health Professions Council of South Africa investigation. The outcome of that must determine whatever steps should be taken next,” says Dr Angelique Coetzee, Chairperson of SAMA.
Dr Coetzee says for a medical professional to be subjected to a criminal action without his or her actions first being thoroughly dealt with through scientific and medical scrutiny by their peers amounts to witch hunt and will set a dangerous precedent for the medical community going forward.
“There needs to be a proper investigation where experts interrogate the facts and make findings based on medical evidence presented. Without this process being completed the criminal process is functioning in a vacuum. Because of the actions by authorities now, doctors will be wary of performing even the most routine of procedures for fear that they may be similarly treated without due medical processes being followed,” concludes Dr Coetzee.