A teenager underwent surgery to remove a testicle following an alleged failure by a general practitioner to diagnose a medical emergency, as revealed in a recent hearing. This incident, along with another, involving Dr. Alicia Marton Martinez, a locum GP at SouthDoc, an after-hours GP service three years ago, is under scrutiny by the Medical Council.
Dr. Marton Martinez faces accusations of professional misconduct and subpar performance in the treatment of a 14-year-old boy and a three-week-old infant. The boy’s mother recounted how her son woke up one morning with a swollen testicle and severe discomfort, leading her to suspect testicular torsion, a critical condition where blood supply to the testicle is blocked.
Upon contacting SouthDoc, the mother was advised by Dr. Marton Martinez over the phone that her son’s condition was normal for his age, recommending a cold compress and ibuprofen for a week. Despite seeking further consultation at the clinic shortly after, the boy was ultimately referred to Cork University Hospital a week later, where he had to undergo testicle removal surgery.
Expert witness Professor Tom O’Dowd emphasized that an immediate referral to an emergency department could have saved the testicle with a 90% success rate. He criticized the treatment as incompetent, noting that the use of a cold compress likely exacerbated the boy’s pain.
In a separate case, a father detailed how Dr. Marton Martinez initially downplayed his three-week-old baby’s symptoms of fever and slow feeding, only to be proven wrong when another GP, Dr. Anas Matar, promptly referred the infant to the hospital. The baby was diagnosed with viral meningitis and required hospitalization.
The inquiry continues to unfold as Dr. Marton Martinez, who voluntarily ceased medical practice pending investigation, did not appear at the hearing. The proceedings are set to resume on Tuesday.