WHAZZUP DOC?

From The Star Online
Friday August 22, 2008
"Don’t draw conclusions, says Health D-G

PETALING JAYA: The public should refrain from drawing conclusions or making misleading speculation from medical reports alone, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said.

Referring to the circulation of a flyer alleging that a person was not sodomised based entirely on physical examination findings from a medical record released in the Internet, Dr Ismail stressed that one could not be certain that sexual abuse had taken place simply based on such findings.

“No lay person should make his or her own interpretation of what may have happened simply by looking at the medical records, without knowing the circumstances and other important information that only the examining medical practitioner may be privy to,” he said in a statement"

BUT THEN

Excerpts From Malaysiakini
Sep 5, 08 12:12pm

"Can you confirm it was a sodomy-related examination?
Normally every doctor can check - that is what we call per-rectal examination. Every doctor knows how to do it, that is normal practice, (one doesn’t) need to be a specialist for that examination. That’s it, I used the per-rectal examination.
So you are saying you’re qualified to do it? The hospital said you are just a medical officer.
Yes. Every medical doctor can do the test. That is a very basic test.
Generally, how’s the test carried out?
We have a look at the anus area, then we put the finger (in to) check whether everything is normal or abnormal, then we’ll put the proctoscope and look whether there is any bleeding, scar or (signs of) abnormality, that is what we call per-rectal examination.
Every doctor must know (this test). You just check (the results of) the examination (and), you may know everything.
In the statutory declaration, you claimed that the police were tried to tamper with your witness statement, could you elaborate on this? You said it was the police who inserted Anwar’s name into your statement?
I don’t understand Bahasa (Malaysia), at that time they didn’t mention Datuk Seri’s (Anwar’s) name (in the witness statement), they just mentioned a VIP.
Did you ever advise Saiful to lodge a police report?
Never, never. I advised him to go to the general hospital or any government hospital.
You said you didn’t know that the patient was Saiful - did you not get the patient’s folder with his name before you examined him?
There are so many patients. We (usually) see the patient, their face, (whether they are) male or female, our diagnosis - that’s what we get from the patient.
When I read the newspapers and saw his name in the newspaper, I didn’t know he was my patient. That afternoon when I started my duty I called my nurse and checked in the computer whether he was my patient.
(Then we confirmed) he came on June 28, only at that time I came to know he was my patient. The TV3 news showed Saiful’s photo (but) when I saw the photo I didn’t know (it was him) because the photo was different (from how he looked).
Were you surprised to read (in the newspapers) that he claimed he was sodomised - something that was totally different from what you found from the medical examination?
(Pauses) I will give the evidence in court.
Why did you decide to come out in public at this juncture?
After taking leave, I feel relieved and I decided to come back to Malaysia, I wanted to clear my name."
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