Doctor in hot water for racist, derogatory statements

Hours after voice recordings purporting to be of a medical doctor from South Trinidad spewing racist and derogatory remarks were made public, the T&T Medical Association (T&TMA) is calling for an investigation.

SHARLENE RAMPERSAD

Hours after voice recordings purporting to be of a medical doctor from South Trinidad spewing racist and derogatory remarks were made public, the T&T Medical Association (T&TMA) is calling for an investigation.

In a release on Thursday morning, the Association’s public relations officer, Dr Muhammad Rahman said the T&TMA was made aware of the use of ‘discriminatory language’ by a member of the medical fraternity.

“We wish to, in the strongest manner possible, condemn all forms of discrimination. We endorse any relevant investigations that are required to resolve this matter expediently,” Rahman wrote.

On Wednesday, several voice notes were shared with the public purporting to be conversations between the doctor, his wife and a female employee.

The trio seem to be arguing over a job letter in several of the recordings. In others, the doctor is heard berating the employee for hanging up a phone call on his wife. He tells her:

“If yuh want to cuss and say what yuh want, do that… when them woman hang up phone on me I does cuss up they *expletive*… I mean other women, like patient and things, I don’t take that.”

In another the employee can be heard telling the doctor she does not appreciate being threatened. He responds:

“I does trip off sometimes. I threaten real people to kill them already. You know how much people make police report on me? But me ent care, me ent fraid no *expletive* police. All them police taking the lil’ bribe, cause them does wuk for small money, so if I offer them police a lil’ $10,000 they taking it cause that is plenty money for them.”

Guardian Media reached out to the doctor, who directed questions to an attorney. Asked if he could deny or confirm it was his voice on the recordings, he said: “I can’t comment, call my lawyer.”

In the release on Thursday morning, the T&TMA said doctors are driven by the code of their oath and bound by the duty entrusted to them by patients.

Rahman said patients should be provided with the expected standard of care regardless of ethnicity, gender, age and orientation.

He called for the same respect to be given to colleagues, staff and the general public.