For the first time, the Medical Council has confirmed an anti-vax Murupara GP has been suspended.
Dr Bernard Conlon has pushed anti-vax views on the Murupara Medical Centre's Facebook page for months, calling the vaccine "a gene therapy injection".
A junior doctor wrote to Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins late last year, concerned that Conlon was describing vaccinated patients as "magnetic" in recorded notes.
In a statement, the Medical Council's chair Dr Curtis Walker (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Porou) said the GP "has been suspended pending investigation".
"Council's primary purpose is to ensure that doctors are competent and fit to practice, to ensure the health and safety of New Zealanders and we take these matters very seriously."
Conlon had already told patients in a Facebook post earlier this month, that the suspension was coming but the Medical Council would not comment at the time.
Chairperson of the Combined Medical Staff Executive group, Dr Curtis Walker. Photo: RNZ / Karen Brown.In the post, he said the decision was "disappointing and frustrating to fathom" and the future of the Murupara Medical Centre was "uncertain".
Meanwhile, a Wellington psychiatrist who promoted anti-vax views in multiple videos online has withdrawn his appeal, against a Medical Council suspension.
Dr Emanuel Garcia was stopped from practising last December pending an investigation for anti-vax messaging, as were fellow doctors Peter Canaday and Matthew Shelton.
All three were going to appeal their suspensions, but Garcia has withdrawn his.
The other two doctors will argue their case in the Wellington District Court later this month.
2 comments
No winners here.
Posted on 11-02-2022 12:17 | By morepork
It is sad to see people who have served the community well, now being dishonored over a matter of opinion. The evidence is available for people to make their own minds up. I disagree with Dr. Conlon's position, but I think he has a right to it. It isn't like these are wicked, evil, people. They are guilty of not being persuaded by the Party Line and saying so, publicly. I don't believe it is OK to destroy someone's reputation and career for doing that. This says more about the Government than it does about the dissenters.
Fair
Posted on 12-02-2022 09:49 | By Kiwi22
It was sad that this had to happen, but it was also the right decision. They have a standard of care to uphold if they want to practice medicine because people trust them - everything needs to be evidence based, rather than practicing based on feel or opinion. Studies can be interpreted 1000s of different ways depending on your ability to read studies (we as the general pop generally suck at this), personal biases etc, which is why we get the experts to do it, and we listen to the majority in the field, not just the outliers. He can always come back under the title of naturopath/homeopath which isn't regulated, and prescribe ivermectin/vitamins etc to treat covid if that's what he feels is right, but it's misleading doing these things while holding the Dr title.
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