Joseph and Anna Maria Dougall have filed a judicial protest against Dr Massimo Abela, a consultant at Mater Dei Hospital, over his alleged attitude towards them on June 16.

They said that Mrs Dougall had called at the Orthopaedic Outpatients Clinic to have her right arm examined after having been placed in plaster three weeks previously.

The doctor on duty removed the plaster and decided that it would be better if the arm as seen by consultant Massimo Abela.

When Dr Abela showed up, Mrs Dougall,who was accompanied by her husband, said she was still in pain and occasionally sought treatment from a Chinese masseur in an effort to ease her pain.

The Dougalls claimed that immediately on hearing this, Dr Abela stopped treating Mrs Dougall and told her not to return to hospital. He also told her that it was up to her to get used to the pain.

Mr and Mrs Dougall said in their protest that Mrs Dougall had every right to use the free medical services at Mater Dei and Dr Abela had no right to refuse his services, just because he disagreed with alternative medicine.

While Dr Abela had a right to express his opinion and give advice, he had no right to be arrogant, more so when a patient was seeking asisstance because of a pain she was feeling, the Dougalls said.