An anti-vax GP has lashed out at a trainee doctor who raised concerns about misinformation in patient notes.
Murupara Medical Centre Photo: Screenshot / Google Street View
Last week RNZ revealed Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins had received a letter, accusing Murupara Medical Centre GP Dr Bernard Conlon, of describing Covid-vaccinated patients as "magnetic" in medical records.
The letter also described when Conlon "literally jumped out of" his chair and "clapped hands in celebration" when he saw Murupara was "at the bottom of the league table for vaccinations".
The letter was referred to the Medical Council, at a time when Conlon was already under investigation, and had been called for a Medical Council hearing for doubting the vaccine at a public meeting.
Conlon has pushed anti-vax views on the Murupara Medical Centre's Facebook page for months, describing the vaccine as "a gene therapy injection".
Despite the multiple complaints, the Medical Council is yet to decide whether Conlon should keep his registration, but due to the vaccine mandate, he can only see patients via telehealth currently.
In response to RNZ's story, Conlon wrote a new, lengthy Facebook post on the medical centre's page on the weekend.
He said RNZ's reporting was a "smear campaign" to ensure he lost his registration.
Conlon did not directly deny recording patients as "magnetic" but he strongly criticised the whistleblower's letter to the minister, saying it was "difficult to comprehend".
He said the trainee doctor "was given free accommodation and invited for meals" and "left thanking us for our exceptional hospitality, leaving a large variety of unsolicited gifts".
Conlon said instead of vaccinating patients, his practice had focused on "early treatment protocols".
"I understand that this is not accepted by the majority of my peers but I elect to differ and have researched the topic thoroughly."
He has previously posted on the centre's page, encouraging patients to use a "Community Covid First Aid Kit".
This includes mouthwashes, ointment, vitamin D supplements, zinc, and multivitamins.
Conlon said he was "saddened" by the trainee doctor's letter because "it probably contributed to our failure to achieve a practice exemption from the vaccine mandate".
Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners medical director Dr Bryan Betty Photo: Ross Giblin / Stuff
Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners medical director Dr Bryan Betty told RNZ last week that if the patient notes were digital, it was unlikely they could be removed.
"If it's under a practice management system - which is a computerised system that doctors and GPs all across New Zealand use - those notes are all traceable," he said.
Medical Council investigations were thorough but "like any judicial process it can take a period of time to resolve" - often months, he said.
"Obviously the person who is being investigated needs to be able to respond to anything that has been brought forward."
When asked about the allegations against Conlon, the Ministry of Health said: "The Covid-19 vaccine is one of the more well-studied medicines of our time.
"The technology used to create the vaccine has been developed over decades of research and interest has grown in these vaccines because they can be developed in a laboratory using readily available materials. This means the process can be standardised and scaled up, making vaccine development faster than traditional methods of making vaccines.
"This technology could be quickly adapted to create an effective vaccine against Covid-19. The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has met international standards for quality, safety, and efficacy. The vaccine is safe."
There is no evidence the vaccine makes people magnetic.