AN allegation of professional misconduct against three top doctors has been dismissed by the acting chairman of the Medical Council's preliminary investigation committee. The complaint against Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, the Dean of Medicine at the Chinese University, Dr Jake O'Donovan and Dr Michael Li Ka-wah came after elections for the Hong Kong branch of the British Medical Association held in March this year. The elections were then declared invalid by the association's head office in London and re-run, although in its own investigation the association found no wrong-doing on the part of any individual. But Dr David Anderson, who prompted the fresh elections by making an official complaint to the association, also complained to the Medical Council about the conduct of the three doctors in the March poll. Dr Li was elected president of the Hong Kong branch in March and Dr O'Donovan was elected vice-president. Professor Li, a local branch member, did not run for election. The complaint was investigated by Robert Kwok, the only lay member of the Medical Council, who was called upon to act as chairman of the council's preliminary investigation committee. It is believed that Mr Kwok dismissed the complaint without referring it on to the three-member committee because he decided there was no prima facie case. Secretary of the Medical Council, Rupert Cheung Ming-bor, refused to comment on the dismissal of the complaint. Dr Robert Law Chi-lim, who usually investigates complaints against doctors as chairman of the committee, could not carry out the investigation because of his interest in the case. Dr Law was elected president of the Hong Kong branch, while Dr Anderson was elected vice-president, in last month's elections.
