Didier Raoult sanctioned by a reprimand by the order of doctors

By Yann Saint-Sernin – [email protected]

The disciplinary chamber of the council of the New Aquitaine Order of Physicians has sanctioned the Marseille infectious disease specialist with a reprimand

The disciplinary chamber of the New Aquitaine Order of Physicians rendered its decision this Friday afternoon. She blames Didier Raoult, the media and controversial director of the Marseille University Hospital Institute. Or, in increasing order of importance, the second level (after the warning) of sanctions likely to be pronounced by the disciplinary body which can impose up to suspension, or even radiation.

One month to appeal

The Bordeaux disciplinary body before which the case had been disoriented had to examine two complaints from the departmental council of the Order (Cdom) of Bouches-du-Rhône and the national council of the Order (Cnom). Didier Raoult was criticized in particular for his communication in the context of the Covid epidemic and in particular his promotion of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus “without established scientific data”. But also to have lavished this treatment on patients treated at the IHU, making them “run an ill-considered risk”.

The complaints targeted a cascade of possible breaches of the code of ethics of physicians, including the complaint of “charlatanism”. The doctor was also accused of having “failed in his duty of brotherhood” towards his colleagues in his communication on the pandemic.

It is not known at this stage whether all these grievances were accepted and what reasoning led the disciplinary chamber to take this decision. The reasons which will be sent to the parties by mail have not been made public.

This moderate sanction but which will be entered in the doctor’s file should hardly have any consequences for Didier Raoult who is retired as a university professor and hospital practitioner. “It’s a great victory for the defense”, commented his lawyer, Me Di Vizio, on Twitter, welcoming an intention of “social peace”. “We expected” this decision because “it was difficult to pronounce a ban given that Professor Raoult no longer exercises”, explained for his part Me Philippe Carlini, lawyer of the Order of Physicians, interviewed this Friday by AFP.

Didier Raoult attended the hearing held on November 5 in Bordeaux. He had maintained his position arguing in particular that no patient had complained. “We are in the process of making the trial of success. We received 600,000 patients, made 200,000 diagnoses. I do not know who did that in the world, ”he said in particular.

The Marseille infectious disease specialist had also lodged a complaint against the vice-president of the Ordre des médecins des Bouches-du-Rhône, Guillaume Gorincour, for “non-confraternity”. Didier Raoult reproached this doctor in charge of ethics within the body with fifty “denigrating” tweets. The latter was the subject of a warning.

All parties have one month to appeal. The Order’s national council said it was leaving it until next week to make its decision.

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