Does Unorthodox Mean Dangerous?

Over the past few weeks Mackay Base Hospital Urologist Dr Stephens has been publicly scrutinised, his previous cases have been analysed and his professional ability thrown into question.

There are those that wish to jump up and defend a man they believe has been wrongly victimised and others that have connected dots to make their own accusations about ways they feel they have been mistreated.

Known for his unorthodox approach to consulting with patients, it was not uncommon for him to tell patients harsh truths about their lifestyles - like suggesting they stop smoking in order to increase their chances of survival.

“This would often brush people up the wrong way,” said a co-worker who has chosen to remain anonymous.

“But he was also the sort of person who would give patients his mobile number if they wanted to contact him after hours - he’d go out of his way to help others, even turning up on his days off to sit with an ill patient he knew had no family nearby.”

It seems that his unconventional approach to patient management and unique way of interacting with other staff certainly garnered a lot of attention.

His co-worker alleges that while some people loved him, there were those that really didn’t like him and could perhaps have been out to get him.

With all staff being monitored and not allowed to speak to media, Dr Stephens’ co-worker said they were reluctant to say more.

“We have so many patients asking when he is going to come back,” they said.

But does interacting with others in an unconventional manner mean he was less diligent in conducting his professional duties?

With accusations that he blew his nose on hospital drapes during an operation and also that his trousers fell down in surgery, stories about Dr Stephens’ behaviour has certainly been in the spotlight for all the wrong reason lately.

When explaining the most recent matter of his trousers falling down, Dr Stephens said he believes there is someone at the hospital that has been leaking information to the public and asserts that one of the photos is not even of him.

“The first photo is taken without my permission and the second one is not even of me!” he said.

“I do not wear green tape and I do not have a single hair on my leg,” he said.

Defending his lack of trousers, Dr Stephens explains that he has very narrow hips and that his trousers have fallen down between four and five times in his career.

It is worth noting that he does have shorts underneath his trousers and a wrapped long theatre gown down to his ankles.

He also adds that this issue is not something only he has experienced, apparently other surgeons have also had the same issue.

Does a surgeon continue with the job at hand or risk pausing to re-secure scrubs?

Curious to know who at the hospital is leaking confidential and often inaccurate information about him to the press, Dr Stephens said that he would welcome a full investigation.

He also said he would love to return to work but feels the public scrutiny will make him unemployable.

Image: Dr Daryl Stephens might be unorthodox but does that make him dangerous?

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