WELL-KNOWN surgeon Dr Michael Sugrue is moving from his high-profile Letterkenny hospital role to a new top job in Malaysia.
Dr Sugrue recently retired from the HSE and was awarded a mayor’s reception by Donegal County Council in May past.
He is soon to take up a professorship at RUMC private medical university at Penang in Malaysia.
The medical school gets its name from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin Malaysia Campus.
Dr Sugrue, who lives in Ramelton, spent 18 years as a lead surgeon at Letterkenny University Hospital.
He worked as a HSE consultant for 30 years when a medical negligence claim was made against him in 2022 about a breast cancer diagnosis.
The High Court dismissed the case in March 2023 and the Court of Appeal later denied a retrial.
Dr Michael Sugrue.
In an interview this week with the Irish Times, Dr Sugrue: “I always thought if you looked after the patient, then you didn’t have to worry about the lawyers.
“We do occasionally make mistakes and we inform the patient. It is their right to potentially sue you.”
He added: “There are times when we do make mistakes, and I have made many mistakes, and you inform the patient about that.”
Figures from the Courts Service shows there were 130 clinical negligence awards last year worth nearly €142 million.
This was up from 99 awards valued at close to €93.5m in 2024.
A special presentation was made to Dr Sugrue four months ago by the council.
It said it was in recognition of his contribution as consultant breast and general surgeon at Letterkenny University Hospital.