A patient has filed a judicial protest against a doctor who he claimed “rudely” subjected him to ridicule at the Gozo General Hospital on Tuesday.

Photographer Rene Rossignaud claimed that using vulgar language, a doctor told a nurse that she did not care about the patient who requested to speak to her prior to a minor operation for which he had been given an appointment.

He said he heard the doctor telling the nurse “I don’t give a (damn) about his medical condition... I don’t give a (damn) about his medical issues...” and instructed the nurses to tell the patient “to get back to the waiting room and I will operate him at 6pm”.

Mr Rossignaud checked himself out of the Gozo hospital and called St James Hospital which accepted to carry out the operation for an infected knee as soon as he got to Malta from Gozo.

He said that he had lost an entire day of work because of the doctor’s “arrogance and lack of professionalism” and in the judicial protest, filed against the doctor and Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia, called on the latter to investigate the matter.

He also reserved the right to proceed against the doctor through a formal complaint before the Medical Council.

Dr Jan-Karl Farrugia signed the protest.