Sports psychologist says Jimenez’s unsolicited diagnosis unethical

source: manilatimes.net

SPORTS psychologist Dr. Rey Canlas said that while done with good intentions, physician Rustico Jimenez’s unsolicited prognosis of Manny Pacquiao, displaying early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease maybe in violation of the ethics of medical profession. Jimenez’s medical opinion was aired by a radio and TV station and was published in a newspaper.

“That’s a neurologist story but as professionals, we must avoid jumping into conclusions without extensive tests,” Canlas, a member of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, told The Manila Times on Saturday.

Rustico Jimenez’s

Canlas, who also served as sports psychologist to the Philippine national team that competed in the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia last year explained that Jimenez did not performed any actual examinations on Pacquiao who is currently on vacation in Israel with his family.

“That’s Jimenez’s observation but it needs to be confirmed by battery of tests,” he added. “Personally speaking, that’s not the right thing to do especially if he’s not Pacquiao’s personal neurologist.”

Canlas also said that the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) headed by Dr. Modesto Llamas, could summon Jimenez to explain his action if somebody from the Pacquiao camp formally filed a complaint against him.

A physician staff of the PMA who requested anonymity told The Times that they couldn’t make any comments as of the moment on Jimenez’s medical opinion on Pacquiao.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s US publicist and Top Rank Promotion’s spokesman Fred Sternburg said that Top Rank head Bob Arum will soon bring Pacquiao to the Lou Ruvo Center of the Las Vegas Cleveland Clinic for further tests to make sure the Filipino ring icon is healthy before he fights again. The clinic specializes in brain health, including diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s.

“They will examine him as a precaution,” Sternburg told ESPN.com writer Alfredo Berrios.

So far, Pacquiao, 34, has passed the initial CT scan performed on him after his sound knockout loss to Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez last month.           

 source: manilatimes.net