A young boy underwent surgery to remove one of his testicles due to an alleged misdiagnosis by a general practitioner, as revealed in a hearing. This incident, along with another case, involving Dr. Alicia Marton Martinez, a locum GP with SouthDoc three years ago, is under scrutiny by the Medical Council.
Dr. Marton Martinez faces accusations of professional misconduct and subpar performance in her care of a 14-year-old boy and a three-week-old infant. The boy’s mother noticed his swollen testicle and severe pain, suspecting testicular torsion, a critical condition where blood flow to the testicle is obstructed.
Despite the mother’s concerns, Dr. Marton Martinez deemed the boy’s condition as normal for his age, advising basic remedies over the phone and during a brief clinic visit. Subsequently, the boy had to undergo testicle removal due to the delayed referral to the hospital, which could have saved the testicle according to expert testimony.
In a separate incident, a father of a three-week-old baby recounted how Dr. Marton Martinez downplayed his infant’s symptoms of fever and slow feeding. Eventually, the baby was diagnosed with viral meningitis after another GP intervened and referred him to the hospital, preventing a potential health crisis.
The inquiry highlighted the severity of these cases, with expert witnesses criticizing Dr. Marton Martinez’s actions as incompetent and potentially harmful to patients. Despite her absence from the hearing and lack of legal representation, Dr. Marton Martinez had previously agreed not to practice medicine during the investigation.
The inquiry proceedings have been adjourned and are scheduled to resume soon.
