Patients punished along with surgeon

Re: “Surgeon at Lakeshore Hospital suspended two months over notes” (West Island Gazette, Jan. 17)

Why are patients being penalized for a doctor’s actions, or late actions in this case?

How can suspending an experienced surgeon who handles cancer patients not negatively impact patient care?

Sharon Dalrymple, a surgeon at Lakeshore General Hospital for 21 years, has been suspended for two months and fined $15,000 for failing to dictate her medical notes within an acceptable time.

Experienced surgeons are a limited resource. Is Quebec’s College of Physicians suggesting there are idle surgeons waiting to take her place? Or are they going to over-work other surgeons during her absence?

And how did hospital management allow this to happen in the first place? There should be tools to make the documentation of surgeries more efficient for the doctor to execute on time.

Anyone who has any experience at the LGH’s emergency room and geriatric unit knows that the infrastructure is in desperate need of an upgrade and there is a staffing shortage.

The situation at the LGH is appalling and unacceptable. High-quality patient care in the West Island seems not to be the No. 1 priority, and suspending an experienced surgeon for two months is not the appropriate response. Caroline Malcolm, Beaconsfield