Surgeon in soup for trying to sell a patient’s X-ray as NFT
A senior French surgeon could be gearing up for a legal battle and a possible disciplinary action after trying to use a patient’s X-ray to cash in on the current NFT mania.
Emmanuel Masmejean tried to sell the X-ray of a concert-goer who was shot during the 2015 attack on the Bataclan music hall. Probably carried away by the NFT rave, the orthopedic surgeon reportedly attempted to sell the image as a digital collectible without the patient’s consent.
The said NFT shows the forearm of the patient containing a Kalashnikov bullet. It was on sale on OpenSea for $2,776.
The incident was confirmed on Saturday by the head of Paris’s public hospitals Martin Hirsch. He labeled the actions of the surgeon as “disgraceful” and “scandalous.”
This act is contrary to sound professional practice, puts medical secrecy in danger, and goes against the values of AP-HP (Paris hospitals) and public service.
When asked to comment about his decision to list the image as an NFT, Masmejean said the sale was “an error.” He regretted his failure to seek the permission of the patient.
As for the patient, her identity was not disclosed. However, it is reported that her boyfriend was killed during the Bataclan attack. Masmejean’s description on OpenSea said that the patient “had an open fracture of the left forearm with a remaining bullet of Kalashnikov in soft tissues.”
Meanwhile, the victims’ association Life for Paris released a statement saying that it “stood alongside the victim of the attack who is today the victim of stupidity … by a ‘doctor’ who has evidently forgotten his ethical code.”
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