By Bill W. Cooper
A Liberian doctor, Peter Matthew George, who has found himself at the centre of a controversy following the revocation of his medical license by the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC), has finally broken his silence.
The decision, which raised eyebrows across the medical community and the public, stemmed from allegations that Dr. George falsified his medical credentials, but George has now vehemently denied these claims, attributing any discrepancies to the pressures of his profession.
The LMDC, last week, revoked the medical license of Dr. George, citing serious allegations of possessing fraudulent medical credentials and inconsistencies in his academic qualifications.
The move, according to LMDC, a body responsible for ensuring the quality of healthcare, is intended to uphold the integrity of the medical profession in Liberia, in the course of the many challenges confronting the country’s health sector.
According to the LMDC, its decision followed an extensive investigation into Dr. George’s educational background and professional qualifications, which revealed that discrepancies were found in the documentation submitted by him.
The Council, through its Chairperson Benetta Collins Andrews, added that the revocation is part of the LMDC cleanup effort launched to conduct a nationwide credential audit of all doctors and dentists as a result of the continuous deaths of Liberians due to doctors’ or medical facilities’ failure.
But in an email to BBC News, Dr. George expressed shock and disappointment, asserting that he has always adhered to the highest standards of medical practice, asserting that the controversy is based on ‘false assumptions and political motives.’
Dismissing the claims that he ever said he earned his medical degree from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, George clarified, “I never told anyone so. Those are false and made-up stories.”
Speaking to BBC Liberia’s correspondent, Moses Kollie Garzeawu and journalist Damian Zane, who quizzed him as to why the University of Hertfordshire appeared in his LinkedIn education history.
Responding to the inquiry, Dr. George insisted, “Maybe I made an error when writing because I am under pressure. But I can boldly clarify to both of you that my primary medical degree was from the University of Central Nicaragua.”
According to him, he has served the Liberian health sector with integrity since 2014, and further disclosed that his qualifications were submitted to authorities at the start of his career without any issue or fake documents.
George, at the same time, highlighted his role in improving medical services at the Chief Jallah Lone Government Hospital in Gbarpolu, where he had received commendations, and intoned, “I have served the Liberian health sector diligently for over a decade with no record of misconduct.”
He further claimed that the scrutiny intensified only after his election as president of the Liberia Medical and Dental Association (LMDA) in December last year, adding that the backlash followed the LMDA’s advocacy around the reclassification of government-employed specialists and consultants.
Meanwhile, the University of Hertfordshire has, however, issued a firm rebuttal and said in a statement to the BBC, “Following a thorough review of our academic records, we can confirm that there is no evidence that this individual was ever awarded any degree by the University nor studied here.”
“Any claim to the contrary is therefore false and constitutes a misrepresentation of our institution. Again, we are cooperating with the Liberian authorities and supporting any form of investigations,” the University added.
However, Dr. George’s LinkedIn page, which had listed a “professional doctorate in medicine” at Hertfordshire between 2010 and 2014, has since been taken down.
As the investigation continues, the future of Dr. George hangs in the balance as he navigates the challenges of defending his career and reputation in the middle of this storm of allegations.
