NHS doctor suspended for 6 months for making ‘porky sausages’ remark to a Pakistani colleague 

An NHS doctor has been suspended for six months after repeatedly making ‘porky sausages’ remarks to a Muslim colleague.

Dr Colathor Eshwari was accused of making the insult by an unidentified female colleague from Pakistan, referred to only as Dr A, that amounted to a ‘racial attack’.

The medic, who is from India, repeatedly muttered phrases to Dr A about pork, which Muslims do not eat, and also told her not to fill the kettle with ‘dirty water’.

The incidents took place while they were staying in accommodation provided by Wye Valley NHS Trust in November 2019, when they both began working at Hereford County Hospital. 

A Medical Practitioners Tribunal ruled that Dr Eshwari’s behaviour was ‘deplorable’ and amounted to ‘serious’ misconduct and handed her a six-month suspension.

Dr A said she had attempted to introduce herself to Dr Eshwari, who refused to give her name before muttering ‘porky sausages’ under her breath.

She said Dr Eshwari then grabbed a kettle, which Dr A had filled with mineral water, and threw it in the sink stating ‘don’t make this kettle dirty with your dirty water’.

Dr A said she returned to her room, but heard Dr Eshwari continuing to repeat ‘porky sausages’ in the corridor.

She said she was ‘shocked and lost for words’ and Dr Eshwari kept humming the words ‘porky sausages’ every time she went into the kitchen and common room. 

Dr A said she is a Pakistani Muslim, and her country’s poor relationship with India led to some Indians calling the country ‘Porkistan’ and Pakistani people ‘porkies’, as Muslims do not eat the meat.

She said: ‘Dr Eshwari’s comments felt like a racial attack and therefore I felt like it would be difficult for me to establish a good relationship with Dr Eshwari.

‘She stays in kitchen and common room most of the time and when ever I go there, she starts humming this word and making faces.’ 

The General Medical Council, which sets standards for doctors in the UK, said Dr Eshwari’s actions had the potential to cause offence, and that she had demonstrated hostility based on Dr A’s race or religion.

Dr Eshwari did not admit any of the allegations but they were found proven by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service on March 2.

Dr Eshwari was handed a six-month suspension from the register after the panel found her fitness to practice impaired by reason of misconduct.

During the hearing, Dr Eshwari said she did not know and was not interested in where Dr A came from.

She apologised ‘unreservedly’ for any ‘misconception’ that Dr A may have reached.

Dr Eshwari said that she had discarded the kettle water on health and safety grounds, over concerns it had come from a half-empty bottle.

She also claimed that she had been looking for sausages in the fridge at the time and had muttered ‘where are the sausages’ to herself.

The tribunal found Dr Eshwari’s actions had potential to cause offence, and showed that she had demonstrated hostility towards Dr A based on her race or religion.

They stated: ‘The tribunal had determined that Dr Eshwari’s misconduct was serious.

‘A member of the public, aware of the full facts of the case, would be concerned that a doctor had acted in the way Dr Eshwari did.

‘Further, the tribunal was of the view that a fellow professional would find Dr Eshwari’s actions deplorable.’