Mayor accuses doctors of having sex while emergency department is packed, but union says they were resting
Two doctors were accused of having sex while a hospital’s emergency department was packed with patients, but their union insisted that they were just resting after a long shift.
The incident came to light after Brazilian mayor Carlinhos da Pedreira received several complaints from patients about long waiting times at Jailton Messias de Albuquerque Municipal Hospital, located in Pernambuco, Brazil.
When he arrived at the emergency department on the night of Nov 4, he found it packed with patients waiting to receive medical attention.
He said that although three doctors were scheduled to be on duty, only one was present and attending to patients, CNN Brasil reported.
Doctors just resting, although social media pages claims they were having sex
Pedreira then went about searching for the missing doctors, eventually narrowing it down to a locked staff break room.
He eventually found a male and a female doctor sleeping in the room.
Upon discovering this, the mayor reportedly berated them, saying: “Patients are packed outside, and you two are sleeping, dating!”
He later classified the situation as medical negligence and fired the two doctors.
Footage of the inspection subsequently made rounds on social media, with some accounts claiming that the doctor had been caught having sex.
Doctors had just completed 12-hour shift and were resting: doctors’ union
The Pernambuco Doctors’ Union came to the doctors’ defence, saying that the pair had just completed an exhausting 12-hour shift and were resting.
The union stated that while it is a management duty to oversee public services, the mayor had overstepped by publicly revealing the doctors’ identities.
It also condemned the mayor’s approach and said that the doctors were exposed to public embarrassment and insinuations about their private lives.
City government takes action
Following the incident, Barreiros City Hall announced that it would terminate its management contract with the association operating the hospital and take over responsibility for its services.
According to the municipal administration, the decision followed an assessment of the contract’s implementation and was based on the principles of legality, administrative accountability, and public interest.
The Municipal Health Department and Municipal Health Fund will oversee the hospital’s operations until a new operator is appointed through a bidding process, which is already underway.
The city government added that it would take the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition and prevent any disruption to services for residents.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
