ONE’S reputation is the most important marketing tool, especially with millions having access to various blogs and social media websites.

Unfortunately, social media as a great marketing tool is a double-edged sword, as many medical practitioners are learning.

While social media can be a great reference tool for patients seeking medical assistance, it is an outlet for dissatisfied patients who have a bone to pick with their doctors.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Fatima Najla believes people should be accountable for their online musings because reputations and livelihoods are at stake.

“Today, people are writing whatever they want on blogs without giving it a second thought.

“It’s damaging when nasty things are said about a person’s reputation.

“I’ve been a specialist for more than 20 years, but never had this problem before.

“I believe the sudden surge of such cases is because of the popularity of Facebook and online blogs.”

Dr Fatima claims she had her name smeared all over the Internet recently over a Caesarean section (C-section) she performed on a patient.

“This patient sought my services at the final stage of her pregnancy because she was attracted to the affordable delivery package offered by the medical centre.

“However, due to foetal distress, I performed a C-section instead of a normal delivery. If I didn’t, I feared we would have had an undesired outcome. Both mother and baby were healthy and discharged shortly after.

“As this patient never saw me for follow-up check-ups, I assumed everything was okay and she was happy with the services and treatment she had received.”

However, to her horror, Dr Fatima was informed by neighbours and friends that her name was mentioned on the patient’s blog, portraying her as unscrupulous.

“A few weeks after the delivery, I was caught off guard when loved ones started calling to inform me about the nasty things that were said about me on the Internet.

“This was a surprise as the C-section was performed with the patient’s husband in the delivery room, and they didn’t seem to have a problem.

“But the story she told was very different. She created a juicy story to get sympathy from people.

“It didn’t take long for her blog to go viral. The problem with human beings is they love something like this, something scandalous. Total strangers were adding comments about me, and I was judged based on the things she said.

“Prospective patients were calling the hospital to check on my credibility. It was unfair and my reputation was at stake.

“This blog was not only hurtful, it was affecting my ‘rice bowl’.”

Acting on the advice of a lawyer, the hospital requested the patient to make a formal apology on her blog.

“We could have filed a defamation suit, but it would take time and money. Instead, we demanded that the patient post an apology and remove that blog entry.

“Since the incident, there have been numerous cases. There are many avenues for patients to direct their complaints, but they would rather go to blogs or forums. People need to go to the right authorities, instead of defaming someone without knowing all the facts.

“A person should not be presumed guilty before being tried.”

Advocate and solicitor Wan Muhammad Amin advises people to give very careful consideration before voicing out their opinions about someone else on social media.

“Ask yourself whether there’s really a necessity for you to publish your opinion on the Internet, bearing in mind the repercussions it might have on the person you’re writing about and also on you.

“In the case of Dr Fatima, the complainant’s identity could not be easily discovered by looking at the website.

“However, due to certain details in the blog, Dr Fatima was able to identify the author.

“While social media allows a person to hide his identity and use pseudonyms, if you’re willing to publish your views openly then you should also be willing to reveal your identity. As they say, ‘put your money where your mouth is’.”

He says exceptional care must be exercised when opinions shared on social media involved a person’s livelihood.

“An error in the facts or an unfair view based purely on emotions rather than true facts could affect a person’s livelihood.

“The statement you make may only take a few minutes to write, but it may ruin a person’s reputation that’s taken a lifetime to build.

“Ultimately, more harm than good can come about from publishing certain views on social media.There are proper channels to address your grievances, so focus all that energy using these proper channels.”

Source: New Straits Times