Court of Appeals upholds investigation into Treinta y Tres doctor for practising as cardiologist without qualifications
The Third-Shift Court of Appeals confirmed the formalisation and precautionary measures against María Laura Pagliotti, accused of professional title usurpation.
Court upholds charges against doctor accused of professional title usurpation in Treinta y Tres
The Third-Shift Court of Appeals confirmed the judicial resolutions ordering the formalisation of the investigation against doctor María Laura Pagliotti, accused of professional title usurpation for practising as a cardiologist without holding the corresponding specialisation. According to elobservador.com.uy, the charges were brought by the First-Shift prosecutor of Treinta y Tres, Ana Baricevich.
Precautionary measures extended until December
The Court also upheld the precautionary measures imposed against Pagliotti for a period of 180 days, expiring on 13 December. The restrictions include residence requirement, prohibition from leaving the country, and suspension from practising cardiology. Pagliotti's defence had appealed both the formalisation and the precautionary measures, an appeal that the Court rejected in its entirety.
More than two decades pursuing postgraduate studies
Pagliotti qualified as a doctor in 2000 and began pursuing postgraduate studies in cardiology in 2005, a specialisation that she has been studying for 21 years without completing. The prosecution contends that the defendant presented herself to patients as a cardiologist without having finished that training.
The doctor received at least two complaints from patients filed with the Ministry of Public Health. The second of these complaints was forwarded to the prosecution, resulting in the formal charges.
The legal framework of the case
There is no regulation requiring that heart disease cases be treated exclusively by cardiologists: any qualified doctor may do so. What the regulations do prohibit is presenting oneself as a cardiologist to patients without holding that specialisation. According to the complainants, that situation allegedly occurred in Pagliotti's case.
The judicial system must now determine whether the doctor actually engaged in such conduct.
Professional support amid specialist shortage
Pagliotti has the backing of the Federation of Interior Doctors (FEMI), which represents doctors in the interior regions of the country. The union argues that the health system does not have enough specialists to meet the full demand in the interior regions, an argument which, according to the organisation, contextualises the situation of the defendant.
Source: Google News UY — Crime