KEY POINTS:
An obstetrician involved in three botched births in New Zealand was this week stood down at a Melbourne hospital.
Dr Ramesh Vasant left New Zealand in February 2005 as the Medical Council was about to begin an inquiry into his competence, the Sunday Star-Times reports today.
The Melbourne hospital where Dr Vasant works on Thursday stood him down from managing women in labour.
A Frankston Hospital spokesman said the hospital and college of obstetricians would more closely supervise and support Dr Vasant. "This will result in Dr Vasant developing stronger patient management skills," he told the newspaper.
While working in New Zealand University of South African trained Dr Vasant oversaw three problem births in Auckland, Rotorua and Whakatane.
In each case, the babies were born unresponsive and not breathing. The ACC found medical error in each case.
Health Commissioner Ron Paterson found Dr Vasant's delivery of the second of twins at Whakatane in 2002 was risky and inappropriate. The baby girl died.
In November 2002 Dr Vasant was involved in the delivery of a brain-damaged baby girl at Rotorua which Mr Paterson concluded breached the rights of the mother.
In the case of the baby boy born with cerebral palsy at Waitakere Hospital in September 2003, the ACC found Dr Vasant unnecessarily delayed a caesarean despite ominous heart tracings and the pleas of the mother and her midwife.
Mr Paterson said medical error findings were "of great concern" they meant the doctor had been negligent.
During his 10 years in New Zealand, Dr Vasant worked in Greymouth and as a locum at Middlemore.
The Medical Council said it was aware of concerns "from several sources" about Dr Vasant, and advised him of the competence review in October 2004.
When he left the country in February 2005, the council abandoned the review but notified medical authorities in the UK and South Africa the last two places he had been registered of the concerns.
Last month Mr Paterson's report on the activities of Dr Roman Hasil at Wanganui Hospital raised alarm among medical authorities on both sides of the Tasman.
Dr Hasil botched eight out of 32 sterilisations at Wanganui Hospital.
His registration in Queensland and New South Wales has been suspended.
- NZPA
