Important Health Freedom Information Release
Australian Doctor Deregistered After Helping Cancer Patient
Doctors around the world are being deregistered in droves by their respective
medical boards for doing nothing more than helping their patients with
nutritional and naturally based treatments.
Recent de-registrants include notable pioneers in natural treatments such
as Dr. Durrant-Peatfield, a UK doctor specializing in natural therapies
for thyroid, adrenal and chronic fatigue conditions, and Dr. Serafina
Corsello a respected holistic physician. Among those relentlessly harassed
by their medical boards were: Dr. Revici, an internationally respected
pioneer in the treatment of cancer by nutritional and natural means; Dr.
Warren Levine, who founded the first Holistic Health Center in New York,
having helped thousands of patients during the nearly 30 years he was
in practice. The medical board of New Jersey deregistered Eric R. Braverman
MD, clinician and author, after authorities noted his unique research
and success in treating serious conditions with holistic therapies.
In Australia Dr. Eckard Roehrich, was deregistered on 21 September 2004
after he gave testimony in court on behalf of a family whose 11-year-old
daughter was forced to have chemotherapy against her wishes and those
of her parents. The child's treating oncologist at the John Hunter Hospital
in Newcastle contacted the department of community services which instigated
the forced treatment by way of a court order.
Dr. Roehrich, the family's primary physician, practiced integrative medicine,
a combination of orthodox, complementary and evidence-based alternative
approaches. He had made several attempts to gain humanitarian concessions
for the child who was incarcerated in the hospital without privileges
such as a familiar diet, nutritional supplements, regular walks outdoors
and visits from friends. The hospital oncologist refused these concessions.
On one occasion, when her parents' visiting hours were severely restricted
by the welfare department, the girl tried to escape the hospital and was
returned to the ward and put on 24-hour watch.
Not long after his court appearance on behalf of the child and her family,
Dr. Roehrich began receiving letters from the New South Wales Medical
Board. The Board notified him that its delegates intended entering the
doctor's clinic to inspect his records and premises. When the doctor required
the Board to provide him with a reason for its intended entry into his
clinic without his consent, he was summoned before a special committee.
After a short deliberation, the three-member New South Wales Medical Board
Committee revoked his licence to practice medicine on 21 September 2004.
The Board granted three days for Dr. Roehrich to wind up his practice,
leaving over one thousand patients without medical care. The doctor's
clinic was located in an area of acute doctor shortage. Many of his seriously
ill patients were in the middle of treatments which had started to improve
their health.
The doctor's deregistration has caused a community backlash against the
Medical Board. Already hundreds of patients have contacted the doctor's
clinic vowing their support for him.
The NSW Medical Board's action against Dr. Roehrich comes after its decision
earlier in the year to clear four doctors who were investigated for poor
practice after 14 deaths occurred at the Campbelltown and Camden Hospitals
west of Sydney. According to a Sydney Morning Herald article on 23/1/04,
the Medical Board cleared the doctors even before a special inquiry could
complete its investigations into the deaths.
Dr. Roehrich maintains he was intensively targeted by the Medical Board
shortly after he testified for the family that was besieged by the department
of community services. He maintains when the welfare department forced
the child to have chemotherapy, he felt it was his duty to help the family
to reclaim their right to choose any valid treatment options for their
child.
The Medical Board has not provided Dr. Roehrich with specific reasons
for the suspension of his licence. He has written to the Board and telephoned
them to request this information.
28th September 2004
www.evehillary.org/health.freedom.info.htm
