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Doctors in the English Premier League, under the aegis of the Premier League Doctors’ Group has slammed Chelsea coach, Jose Mourinho over the reported demotion of the team doctor, Eva Carneiro, describing the action as “unjust in the extreme”.
Reports had it on Wednesday that Carneiro will no longer attend Chelsea’s matches or training sessions after Mourinho lambasted her and physiotherapist Jon Fearn for running onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard during the latter stages of last weekend’s 2-2 draw at home to Swansea City.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the group said: “In the publicised incident in last Saturday’s game against Swansea, the Chelsea medical staff were clearly summoned onto the field of play by the match referee to attend to a player.
“A refusal to run onto the pitch would have breached the duty of care required of the medical team to their patient.
“It is a huge concern that Dr Carneiro has been subjected to unprecedented media scrutiny and a change in her professional role, merely because she adhered to her code of professional conduct and did her job properly.”
Mourinho had said that Carneiro and Fearn had been “impulsive and naive”.
Chelsea were down to 10 men against Swansea following the dismissal of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and were temporarily reduced to nine players as Hazard was obliged to leave the field after receiving treatment.
Mourinho felt that Hazard had not been sufficiently injured to warrant treatment and said that although referee Michael Oliver had waved them on, Carneiro and Fearn’s actions showed that they did not “understand the game”.