The Northern Rivers Times Newspaper Edition 101

Page 2

The Northern Rivers Times

2

June 16, 2022

NEWS

Doctor guilty of misconduct TIM HOWARD A doctor at a Grafton health clinic began an inappropriate relationship with a mentally ill patient, including plying him with liquor and marijuana and asking him to sign prescription forms not meant for him. The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission took Dr Dheyaa Khadim Jouda, 48, before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on April 20. The commission alleged that between February 9, 2017 and June 7, 2019 while working at the Grafton GP Super Clinic, Dr Jouda breached professional boundaries with a patient, by exchanging calls and text messages, inviting the patient to his home for dinner, consuming alcohol and marijuana with the patient at the patient’s home and

loaning the patient money. It was also alleged that, Dr Jouda engaged in improper or unethical conduct by: • asking the patient if he could use his name to complete a prescription not meant for him; • falsely documenting a prescription; • falsely documenting a medical consultation with the patient; and, • making a false representation to the commission during the investigation of the matter. On May 31, the Tribunal found the complaint proven. The Tribunal found that Dr Jouda was guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct. The Tribunal allowed the hearing to proceed without Dr Jouda being in the country at the time. It was happy he was adequately represented. In the background

facts to the case the Tribunal heard Dr Jouda first met the man known only as Patient A on October 9, 2017. Patient A had been diagnosed with schizophrenia prior to that consultation. He told Dr Jouda he had been “taking Olanzapine or other relevant medication for my schizophrenia”. He said that across a number of consultations Dr Jouda said they should get together for “a drink somewhere”. Patient A said went along with the suggestion to be “agreeable” and said he felt sorry for Dr Jouda, because he was from a foreign country (Afghanistan) and had few friends in Australia. The doctor also acquired Patient A’s phone number and contacted him via text messages several times a week. He said he trusted the doctor as an authority figure and did not see harm in

him having his phone number. At times the text messaging from the doctor to Patient A was very frequent, with evidence on March 11 2018 he sent 33 messages and on March 13, he sent 49 messages. A medical expert, Dr Mullins, whose evidence to the Tribunal was not contested, said records showed there was no medical need for the frequency of the messaging. He said, although the content of the messages was not available, the frequency allied to the power imbalance of the doctor/patient relationship had the potential to be harmful to the patient. Patient A said he had dinners and drank expensive scotch whisky at the doctor’s home on a number of occasions. Dr Jouda also discussed his sexuality and told Patient A he was gay.

Some time in 2018 the doctor asked Patient A if he smoked marijuana and when he said yes, supplied some and the pair smoked two joints. In his statement Patient A said: “I trusted that as my doctor he would not harm me”. In 2019, during a consultation, Dr Jouda presented Patient A with a blank prescription and asked him to sign it. Patient A gave evidence there were other prescriptions he signed where he was not at the places at the times written on the prescription forms. Dr Mullins gave evidence that the drugs on the prescription forms were anti-HIV drugs, which would never be prescribed for Patient A’s conditions. Dr Jouda told the Tribunal he felt remorse for the way he had abused his relationship with Patient A and offered this as a reason for his behaviour. “The reason why I

needed this medicine then is that I had relations with another person, and there is no sexual health clinic in Grafton which could prescribe in a confidential way. I did not feel I could ask any other local doctor. It seemed the easiest way to obtain the medication privately, and I knew it was wrong, that is why when I moved to Brisbane, I started seeing a sexual health doctor for regular check ups and prophylactic treatment. I should always have done this but I did not and I do not have any excuse for using my patient in that way and I am sorry and apologise to him.” The Tribunal found five of six complaints made against Dr Jouda proved. A stage 2 hearing where protective orders will be made has been order at a date to be appointed by the registrar.

Sluggish DA system being overhauled LARA LEAHY Tweed Shire Council has just completed a review on how to tackle the time frame for development applications to be processed in their region. Prior to Covid, Council was receiving between 800 and 1000 DAs a year and were working on 200 or 250 at any given time. The turnaround for the DAs was well below state average at 60 or 70 days, only 40 days for a single dwelling. Letters TV Guide Rural Real Estate Entertainment

Since this time, however, there has been a succession of stimulants in the building industry. Delays in processing this surge of applications was exacerbated by interruptions to the work force over the period of Covid lockdowns, and changes in the application process via the State Planning Portal administration council. 14 29 31 45 46

Puzzles Travel Motoring Wines Business

Planning policy changes and additions require additional training tying up staff resources. These changes led to a higher rate of DA refusal, which led to appeals, further draining DA application resources. This has resulted in a blow out in DA processing time frames. The average time is currently 126 days, 70 for single homes. There are currently 440 undetermined DAs in 48 50 52 55 56

the system, described by council “as an unsustainable workload”. Council has been lobbying State Government for ways to alleviate this situation increased staff resources and cost recovery fees. Solutions are being sought such as temporary staff pools or hiring in remote locations and coordinating resources with the NR Joint Organisation. The following outcomes have been Health Gardening Cooking Stars Funerals

CONTACT US - The Northern Rivers Times

decided on at a recent council meeting: • Development Application Process Meetings were tabled to be suspended. • There will be one contact and return phone call times will be within 5 days (not two). Responses are now restricted to a set period in the week. • Consolidate down to a single Request for Further Information per applicant. 57 58 59 60 61

• DA assessment of infrastructure issues such as water, sewer, roads etc, have been deemed noncritical to the application process, however they will be conditioned post DA. These changes are to be brought in by 1st July 2022 and will be monitored for progress. Priority will be given to current DAs and affected residents and businesses in clearing the backlog.

62 Trades & Services 64 Community 66 Weather Back edition 102 Sports 72

1300 679 787

SALES 02 6662 6222 sales@nrtimes.com.au EDITORIAL news@nrtimes.com.au LETTERS letters@nrtimes.com.au

Ballina - 02 5601 9201, Casino - 02 6662 6222, Grafton - 02 5632 3041, Lismore - 02 5605 8529, Tweed Heads - 07 5551 4161 Directors, co-owners and co-founders: Jeffrey Gibbs (0417 516 004 BH) and Sharon Bateman (0427 633 354 BH) ISSN: 2652-7928 a Heartland Media company ABN: 84 134 238 181 All rights reserved © 2022 Distribution Coffs Harbour north to Southport and west to Tenterfield weekly. Circulation 59,200

www.thenorthernriverstimes.com.au


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.