Controversial obstetrician Roman Hasil, who botched a series of sterilisations at Whanganui Hospital, has told a medical tribunal in Sydney he has been portrayed as "worse than Hitler".
Czech-trained Hasil appeared before the New South Wales Medical Tribunal on Wednesday for a hearing to decide whether he should be disqualified from practising medicine because of a mental impairment.
In February, the tribunal found Hasil's behaviour, which included drink-driving offences and drinking a six-pack of beer in a hospital carpark, did not make him unfit to practise medicine.
It also found many of the allegedly rude comments he made to 15 patients while he worked at Lismore Base Hospital between 2001 and 2005 could not be substantiated.
The comments allegedly included "horse woman", "whore" and "slut".
The hearing on Wednesday was told Hasil suffers from an impairment arising from a brain injury, making him unfit to practise medicine.
Hasil has already been suspended and deregistered in NSW for not paying his medical board fees.
Sarah McNaughton SC, representing the Health Care Complaints Commission which brought the case against Hasil, said he should be disqualified from being registered as a medical practitioner "until specific conditions have been complied with".
These include Hasil undergoing intensive rehabilitation, "psychological intervention" and random alcohol testing, Ms McNaughton said.
"The case should (then) be referred back to the medical council for a review of his capacity to function," she said.
Hasil, who represented himself, told the court, "I don't have any defence".
"For over 30 years I am a doctor and I can't do anything else."
Mr Hasil said people, including future employers, "can go on the internet and see something that I am worse than Hitler".
"It's not fair," he said.
The tribunal reserved its judgment on the matter.
After working in Whanganui from 2005 to 2006, the Health and Disability Commissioner found Hasil botched eight of 32 sterilisations, took the ovaries of a woman without her knowledge and drank alcohol on the job.
Apart from New Zealand and NSW, he has also worked in Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria.
NZN