Medical professionals face harsh repercussions for taking selfies in the workplace

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Unprofessional behaviour in the workplace is never to be condoned, but those in the medical profession are commonly held to even higher standards by dint of their greater responsibility – they are expected to uphold patient confidentiality rights, protect patients’ personal data and adhere to ethical norms regulating the medical profession. Taking unpermitted ‘selfies’ in the workplace violates all of those responsibilities, and more.

Mexican medical student slammed for taking selfie with patient

María José González, a dentistry student at the Valle de México University (UVM), learned this the hard way after posting a self-taken photo, or ‘selfie’, of her grinning beside a patient who looked very sick. The photo went viral, and she has been under considerable heat since. The image, originally shared via the instant messaging app, Whatsapp, had contained a comment that only increased the culpability of her actions. “I was on duty and saw a woman dying and then took a selfie,” González reportedly wrote, complete with an inappropriate emoji. It was later leaked on Facebook and has since gone viral. She has insisted that she had had no intentions of releasing it to the public, and that “someone with a lot of cheek” had leaked the picture in order to tarnish her and her family’s reputation. “The picture has been misunderstood, I took it some time ago and yesterday the lady was very sick but I had struck up a rapport with her,” González had written on her Facebook page in an attempt to defend herself. “She told me some things about her life and as it was my first day of my internship, I wanted to have a souvenir. Yes, I took several pictures but I did ask permission and she did agree.”

The University has emphasised that the content of the photo did not reflect the “values” of the school, and announced that it will start an investigation into the incident.

Malaysian doctor who posted inappropriate selfie of patient to be fired

The unprofessionalism of medical personnel is an issue that is taken very seriously, both by the public and medical institutions. In an example, a Malaysian doctor also faced the sack some time back after posting a shocking picture of her with one hand on the (clearly visible) private parts of a woman who had just given birth, while flicking a 'v for victory' sign at the camera. The photo also went viral, and led to public outcry at her having disrespected the patient’s privacy, even though the doctor in the picture had not taken the photo herself. Such actions by a doctor is unacceptable. The culprit in question was identified as a female doctor, thought to be in her twenties, working at the Johor Bahru hospital in Malaysia, and serving as a medical officer in the hospital near Taman Mount Austin. Health minister Dr. S. Subramaniam promised swift action to punish the doctor for breaching medical ethics.

Medical personnel should not be misusing technology, especially at work, and that any institution did not condone such actions, especially when it involved patients’ dignity.

In a profession that so requires direct care of patients, taking a selfie in the workplace not only violates the confidentiality clauses that all medical personnel are expected to adhere to, but also casts doubts on the standards of care that the medical professionals provide. As they represent the medical institution they are affiliated with, it is natural for the institution to take such displays of unprofessionalism seriously.

With the convenience of technology at one’s fingertips, it is remarkably easy to commit such faux pas, and it necessitates the exercise of a corresponding level of prudence when using such tools.

Our dear surgeon colleagues, please stop posting your photos in operation theater on your Facebook.

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