The Citizen reports that a North West doctor who is under investigation by the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) after a baby girl and two other patients died, has lost his legal bid to keep on practising pending a misconduct hearing.  

Judge Sulet Potterill dismissed an application by Dr David Sello of Ikageng in the North West to set aside his suspension pending a hearing by a professional conduct committee.  Sello claimed the process to suspend him had been unfair, impaired his professional status and left him without an income.  The judge said the complaints against him were extremely serious and the HPCSA had to act to fulfil its duty to protect the unsuspecting public.  She noted that an investigation had already been launched against Sello about one of five complaints against him prior to the suspension hearing.  The judge also said the protection of the public overrode Sello’s right to practise his profession and the decision to suspend him was just and reasonable under the circumstances.  Prof Bruce Sparks, who assessed the complaints for the HPCSA, said in a report Sello had been diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disorder with psychotic tendencies.

• Read this report by Ilse de Lange in full at The Citizen
• See too, Doctor’s bid to lift his suspension fails, on page 2 of The Star of 14 August 2018

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