The head of the Egyptian Doctors Syndicate, Osama Abdel-Hay, announced that the syndicate is contemplating regulating media appearance of its members, and setting rules for appearing on social media sites, especially live broadcasts.
In statements to Al-Arabiya channel on Thursday, Abdel-Hay said that the syndicate cannot prevent its members from appearing on social media, but it is studying regulating the matter in a way that does not harm society.
He said: “It is necessary to establish rules that regulate this issue and are binding on all members.”
Abdel-Hay’s statements came following a controversial video from gynecologist Wissam Shoaib, who spoke about certain cases she examined – potentially violating her patient’s privacy.
The Public Prosecution considered the video a disturbance to the public peace and security.
This issue is one of great interest, he said, adding that “the union had begun studying it (these rules) years ago, specifically since Coronavirus pandemic, but the talks were not completed.”
Abdel-Hay explained that these studies are being conducted in coordination with the relevant authorities, most notably the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.
Regarding the penalties that Shoaib may face, he said that the matter is left to the Professional Ethics Committee within the syndicate, which is continuing its investigations into the case, and likened it to a primary court that includes legal and judicial authorities.
However, Abdel-Hay pointed out that the union’s penalties are generally deterrent, and range from a warning, reprimand, and suspension from work for a month or a year, all the way to expulsion from the union, depending on the violation in question.
A violation of patient privacy
The Public Prosecution Office in Kafr al-Dawar city in Beheira Governorate issued a decision on Tuesday to detain Shoaib for four days pending investigations.
The decision came after Shoaib posted a video clip on her Facebook account in which she claimed to have dealt with girls and women who had become pregnant illegally, potentially violating doctor-patient confidentiality.
The prosecution charged the doctor with disturbing public security and peace, using social media to stir up confusion, insulting the masses and violating family principles and values.
The video clip, which went viral on social media, showed Shoaib claiming that she examined some cases of pregnancy from extramarital sex, including a 14-year-old minor who was eight months pregnant and whose family desired an abortion.
She also claimed that there was a second case for a woman hiring a young man in his twenties to father her new born baby which resulted from extramarital sex with another man.
Finally, she claimed that there was a third case of a woman who cheated on her husband with a young man and was sentenced to two years in prison after being caught red-handed committing adultery.
The obstetrician responded to the accusation of exploiting her patients to become a trend on social media and reveal their secrets, saying: “I went to sleep and woke up to find out that all of Egypt had watched the video. I just want to say that I am not a trend person, nor am I looking for a trend.”
The Doctors Syndicate announced that it had received complaints against the doctor.
The Administrative Prosecution Authority, in turn, began a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The authority explained in its statement that the content of the video may constitute a violation of patients’ rights and a breach of the rules of the medical profession and the ethics of the profession.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
