Was the Icelandic doctor Hjalti Már Björnsson’s curious downplaying of my poisoning in Iceland politically motivated? He has written for the hard-Left Icelandic publication Stundin. Does the Hippocratic Oath’s promise to heal not apply to those who are defamed by the Southern Poverty Law Center?
“Robert Spencer files charges against physician at the hospital’s emergency department,” translated from “Robert Spencer kærir lækni á bráðamóttöku Landspítalans,” by Hjálmar Friðriksson, DV, August 17, 2017:
Robert Spencer, editor of Jihad Watch and lecturer, has filed charges against Hjalti Már Björnsson, Emergency doctor at Landspítalinn Emergency Department, to the Ethical Committee of the Medical Association of Iceland and to the Director of Health. Spencer held a very controversial lecture on Islam in May in Iceland, and he was also given poison at the club BarAnanas in Reykjavík.
The investigation of the case has been completed and has been transferred to the police’s Prosecution Division. This means that the police considers the case to be solved, but it is now being decided whether an indictment will be issued.
DV is in possession of Spencer’s charge to the Ethics Committee, which states that he believes that Hjalti Már did not provide him with the correct information when he sought medical treatment at the emergency room. Spencer also believes that political motivations might explain the doctors conduct.
The background to the charge is that shortly after Spencer had been given the poison, he felt a rapid heartbeat, was trembling and vomited. He then went to the emergency hospital where he stayed all night. In Spencer’s charge he states that he felt that Hjalti was quite unfriendly towards him.
“He told me only that I had Ritalin in my bloodstream, and seemed skeptical when I told him that I never took Ritalin. Hjalti Már told me he thought the medical lab tests were mistaken – without explaining to me what the test had revealed – and told me that I had simply had a panic attack,” said Spencer to the Ethics Committee.
Spencer says he does not think that analysis was convincing, because he did not get anxious when Islamic warriors attacked in 2015 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Texas, where he spoke. “The jihadists were armed with two Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles, and the police searched for explosives in the area. I was one of their primary targets. Why didn’t I have a panic attack in midst of all this?,” asks Spencer in his complaint.
Said he was not informed about MDMA
Spencer believes that Hjalti’s analysis was based on politics and not medical science. “Hjalti Már also went on about the stress I was under, urging me to stop doing what I do, without having any evidence that I have ever found it particularly stressful. In retrospect, once I found out he had not told me what the full results of the tests were, his intent seemed to be to get me to believe that I had not been drugged, and that the panic attack I had supposedly had was a sign that I should stop speaking out against jihad terror,” said the appellant.
He said that Hjalti did not inform him that MDMA had been detected in the urine test. “I only saw it when I arrived back at the hotel after leaving Landspítalinn and looked at his written report. I didn’t know what MDMA was, so I googled it and, finding that it was Ecstasy, began to make sense of what really happened. A panic attack is actually a symptom of MDMA overdose. Knowing that, my puzzlement over the episode reduced considerably,” said Spencer, asking why Hjalti had spoken of alleged stress when he knew the outcome of the toxin analysis.
DV has previously published a copy of a medical report signed by Hjalti Már, but Spencer criticizes the report. “It has been brought to my attention by an Icelandic physician and an American physician that the Medical Report that Hjalti Már Björnsson signed is misleading in light of the hospital lab findings. Hjalti Már seems to be downplaying the real issue of what happened. He uses ‘hyponatremia’ as the main diagnoses, when it is actually among the ‘subsidiary diagnoses’ (hliðargreining). He attributed it to my having drunk a good deal of water at the hotel before I went to the emergency room, in order to get the drugs out of my system, before going to the hospital. He did not inform of the fact I discovered later, that hyponatremia is another symptom of MDMA overdose,” said Spencer.
He also claimed that both of these doctors considered it inappropriate to report that there were no signs of serious poisoning. “Not serious for whom? How much poison must one be given for the poisoning to be ‘serious’? I had most of the symptoms of MDMA overdose. That’s serious enough for me. And even worse, I wasn’t even told the facts of the matter by the physician who attended me during my visit to the emergency room at Landspítalinn,” said the complaint, which is dated August 8 of this year.
DV also examined Spencer’s email communications with Kjartan Ólafsson, a police prosecutor in the capital, and Grímur Grímsson, a policeman. They state that several persons have been questioned, including potential culprits. Police also have filmed evidence, such as video recordings. As mentioned earlier, a decision will be made on whether a charge will be issued soon.
Georg says
This doctor ought to have his license pulled. He is in a hospital, not a political rally. If only we could drop him off to live in the Islamic State for a year or two and maybe he’d reassess his support for this incarnation of evil. Despicable.
underbed cat says
I found that most Dr.’s even if not muslim, have little information to none, about the doctrine of Islam… as they work along side muslim physicians, they are the most clueless in my opinion. The diversity rule in the medical profession is very rigid…they would be ostracized or fired if hey even read any facts about the Islam or spoke about it, they would immediately ignore and condemn one who tries to explain….believe me I know this scenario. The muslim medical association has a lot of influence, that played the left so well. Offending muslims means truth about the verses that ties it to jihad terror, that must be silenced so they can bleed into all areas of society and look professional and harmless. It is truly alarming for a lot of reasons. Curiosity or knowledge is suppressed.
Ren says
I can tell one’s a leftist just looking at his face. Hjalti Már Björnsson face does not lie regarding being a leftist.
Mockingjay says
It sure does not. And then the hair…
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
In the extremely unlikely even this episode is covered by the media, they’ll say that Spencer filed the complaint as an attention-grabbing publicity stunt. As the old saying goes, you can’t win for losing.
T Ross says
A middle age medical doctor with 2 feet long bunches of dreadlocks or tresses of sorts is hardly a trustworthy person. If you are a physician but imitate the attitudes of a junkie, there is something fishy there. Hundreds of PC maniacs will immediately object, that the appearance of a doctor has nothing to do with his abilities. OK, why not behave like a doctor then? If is as if a Papua witch doctor dons a tux, a bowtie and patent leather shoes before going for a visit into the jungle.
underbed cat says
Ponytails are common among liberals, but a ponytail does not exactly scream I am stupid as well or nicely said uninformed. But I agree there is a good possibility….unless they speak you would not know their ideas, but boy it comes up fast if they don’t have information and they will accuse someone of hate speech….which is right up the terror ally.
SweetOlBob says
The wild hair and the horses ,,, er … Pony tail identify a non-conformist. Not a guy that makes you really comfortable when treating you.
It shows that he wants to telegraph his non-conforming feelings, and to hell with everything else.
He is daring you to comment about his uncivilized appearance so he can call you a bigot or worse. A really childish trait. Especially for a doctor !
Shmooviyet says
Agreed.
Professionalism is reflected in appearance as well as behaviour. This doctor seems to lack in both areas, disregarding or at least making light of the importance of the test results for his well-known patient.
underbed cat says
Besides Dr’s are not allowed to speak to the press about his condition unless Spencer agrees.
Carolyne says
In this case, there is certainly wrong with the appearance of this doctor. Years ago I read a study of the contents found by combing doctor’s beards. There were parts of insects, whole insects, food and various other unsanitary objects. The conclusion was that if a doctor wore a beard, he should wear a cover on it as he does on his nose and mouth while operating. The long hair probably also contains equally unsanitary bits and pieces.
Additionally, it certainly seems he lied about the results of the blood analysis and judging by his unclean appearance, once can deduce he is a member of the far left who would actually applaud an act which made a person such as Mr. Spencer suffer unnecessarily, a man who is devoting his life to saving the
West from the ravages of Islam.
When Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded, he was conscious enough to joke with the doctors to ask if they were Republicans. The answer was, Mr. President, today we are all Republicans.” And that I how it should be. Politics should not enter into the treatment of a patient as did this left-wing doctor’s politics obviously did in his treatment of Mr. Spencer.
Shmooviyet says
Excellent!
‘Panic attack’ my aunt’s fanny.
Someone should suggest the doc put that aging fuzzy hair in a ponytail, for the sake of cleanliness, if nothing else.
John A. Marre says
This doctor looks like a filthy liberal, and if so, then like all liberals he has no principles and acts only on emotion.
Finland rejected Spencer because he was saying the truth about Islam. There was an attack on innocent people just today or yesterday, by Muslims, of course.
I doubt this will teach the Finns a lesson. They will place wreaths, and the Muslims who are in the country will recognize that it is a sign of weakness, and attack again.
Mockingjay says
Iceland…
Ashley says
Good for you, Robert.
You have hard evidence that this “doctor” was dismissive of your symptoms and lab results.
You were victimized twice…by the culprit that poisoned you and this “doctor.”
Fingers crossed that you prevail and this doctor’s license to practice is revoked.
mgoldberg says
It is vulgarity indeed, that a doctor would treat a patient thus.
Seriously. To treat a patient, who is in distress, who doesn’t appear to be a person of drug use, let alone abuse, and never inform them of the lab results?
The lab results explain the anxiety indeed. The hypocratic oath indeed commands a doctor to be forthright and up front about the condition and this doctor had failed to do so….
And if indeed this was so…. he should be sued, and reprimanded.
Ashley says
Robert suspected he had been poisoned, and his lab work confirmed this.
I don’t understand why the hospital failed to summon the authorities. A crime had been committed. A patient had been poisoned.
A prominent patient at that…
Tom says
What doctor would not provide a thorough and complete diagnosis to his patient especially when there is suspicion that the patient may have been given drugs that could have had a fatal effect on that patient.
Obviously there is an alterior motive in this case for the physician not providing that thorough a diagnosis. However it is only speculation, without further evidence, to automatically assume that political ideology may have been the reason.
If this physician has a history of political activism or is outspoken against conservatism, then we can speculate further. Until then let’s hope that Mr Spencer’s legal representative can discern whether further information is available to confirm his suspicions.
Lucia Bartoli says
The devil protects his own, and cultists are his spawn. They should be drowned at sea
Santa Voorhees says
“And even worse, I wasn’t even told the facts….”
Exactly what every sane person would and should expect from leftists.
I am pretty sure this “doctor” would have let Robert die if his condition was serious enough to be life-threatening and then claim he done his best to save him while in reality he done nothing at all.
eduardo odraude says
The Icelandic cultural atmosphere — I’ve heard that most of the media reported on Robert Spencer as a kind of monster — may prevent this investigation going very far, even if the doctor really is guilty of malpractice.
Kassa IMMANUEL Gebrekidan says
The attack on Robert Spencer is an attack on our freedom what ever left of it! I too have been attacked a number of times and at one time I mentioned to my Doctor, that I am suspicious about being poisoned due to my activities against Islam, political views and stand I have against the enemy within. What the enemy does not know is, I am not afraid to die and stand firm on my convictions without compromise! At times, When I leave my residence, I tell myself, I might not return to my temporary resting place where I am harassed from time to time by members of LGBTQ that I am aware and mentioned to my Doctor, they might also poison me…
Thank you, Mr. Spencer, for the great job you are doing by informing and preparing us of the danger that has to happen and yet to come.
God Bless America!
Immanuel.
T Ross says
IMHO the heaviest evidence against the guy is that he DID NOT INFORM Mr Spencer regarding the presence of an illicit and potentially deadly substance in his tests, that is the MSMA. It is worth checking if according to local law the medical and paramedicals involved are required to report cases of overdose and potential deliberate poisoning.
Jayell says
Mr. Spencer has studied islam to a high academic level and is a world-recognied expert on the subject. When he speaks or writes publicly on his subject he is clear, accurate and factual and can back up any statement or opinion he proffers. How can that position be a problem to any respectable person/group/organisation/country? Therefore what reasonable justification might this doctor (or anyone of a similar ilk) offer for not showing Mr, Spencer the respect that his proven academic status demands?
lillian says
Good luck i hope Robert gets justice, thankfully he is not dead, but this dr. was clearly playing politics, as a veteran i am always confronted with liberal doctors and staff, in a liberal city, i wonder sometimes if they downplay my complaints and yeah, prob want me dead so i cant vote
Wellington says
Classic example of how the law and medicine may not keep up with common sense and proper ethics (quite apparently in this case, not due first and foremost to sheer professional incompetency, but rather with political prejudices).
Hope Robert Spencer prevails, though I suspect he will not. After all, we live in an age when Western Leftism supersedes even life itself, unless, of course, it is the life of a fellow Leftist or a Muslim, and Robert Spencer doesn’t qualify here, now does he?
joe bloggs says
To be honest I don’t think he did you intentional harm. This is pretty much the standard of medicine in Europe and how they deal with people in crisis in a way that seems uncaring to you. Most of our medical treatment is free/ government paid for and they don’t tend to have a good service while most of the doctors you meet are in training and relatively junior. MDMA is a very common occurrence in Europe as we are a type of socialist style society in general and drugs and alcohol are commonly abused. Likely your hyponatremia may have added to feeling confused as this is a dangerous state to be in, very common nowadays due to the power of many of our drugs such as furosemide and even stuff like citalopram. Also, people have fixated on a low salt diet due to 1980s style health information promotion when sodium retention was thought to be a leading cause of hypertension. I find your blog very insightful. Islam is simply a millennial cult just as Hitler was, just as communism is and , to be honest, just as the early christian church was.
WPM says
to joe blogs
It might be true it is a common misused drug in Europe ,but why not inform the patient of the blood and urine test results. I am not a doctor ,but given the test results I could read them to a patient , even if he was a “junior” doctor in training I assume he has the ability to read a report . It is just a question of did the doctor omit informing the patient or not read the report himself. Even if you think the patient took the drugs himself why would you not inform the patient of the drugs in the report that could be causing his “panic attacks”. .I do not know if you are a doctor or not but you are doing some long distance assuming and coming to conclusions without seeing the patient yourself. As far of the other drugs used furosemide, citalopram I do not know and you do not know if they were used . As far as a low salt or high salt diet you and I do not have that information either. The only facts is there were different drugs in the patient system the patient was not told of all the drugs he test positive for. Why was the patient not informed is the question. Was the doctor not reading the report correctly or omitting information to the patient .Either way the doctor is not doing his job correctly. Is it misfeasance or malfeasance that lead to not informing the patient of the illegal drugs in his test results?
Anne Smith says
Joe Bloggs touches on a valid point here.
In UK the National Health Service is free and open to anyone and everyone in UK, foreigners, holidaymakers, tourists and the local populace. Just getting enough people to staff it is almost beyond the ability of those who run it. It is a Government provided service and in many respects does an excellent job, but the resources are stretched to the limits and like all Government provided institutions it works more in the manner of a Communist state functionary suiting those who work in it, rather than a service geared to the customers.
In UK you cannot just walk into a doctor’s surgery and ask for treatment, you have to “register” with your local GP service and then you become a state owned number and are allowed an appointment when and at a time they think you should have, not when you need or want it. Private doctors are far and few and mainly only in the big cities.
A and E at hospitals are open to all and sundry and so long waits and overcrowding is the order of the day. Everyone is aware of this and expects it. I don’t know if it is the same in Iceland, but it seems as if the doc who saw Mr Spencer has much the same attitude.
Greta says
@ Anne Smith Nothing you wrote has any bearing on Spencer’s experience. He was in hospital for emergency care and in the time it took the doctor to lecture him to stop “doing what he was doing,” he could have told Spencer what was in the labs. I’ve lived in the UK and never had a doctor behave that way towards me, although the NHS is horrible.
Guy Forester says
More support to my opinion that ideology wins whenever anything important needs to be done by a leftist. Need to provide lifesaving medical care, but you disagree with the politics of your victim, I mean patient? Ideology wins! Provide minimal care or no care if possible. If a known conservative in the leftist crosshairs does that, look out!
gravenimage says
Robert Spencer files ethics complaint against Hjalti Már Björnsson, Leftist Icelandic doctor who treated him for poisoning
………………..
Good for Mr. Spencer. This was just appalling–grotesquely unprofessional.
barb says
Shave and get a haircut. Nasty.
Anne Smith says
Also insanitary and spreads germs and bugs.
mortimer says
The denial of the jihad threat goes on. But the Left has no evidence to prove that Islam is benign.
-Imam Abdul-Latif ibn Abdur-Rahman Rahimullah said, “It is not possible for someone to realize Tawheed and act upon it, and yet not be HOSTILE against the mushrikeen (those who worship incorrectly). So anyone who isn’t HOSTILE against the mushrikeen, then it cannot be said that he acts upon Tawheed nor that he realizes it.” [ad-Durar as-Saniyyah 8/167]
-“Islam was never a religion of peace. Islam is the religion of fighting.” As quoted in “Islamic State releases ‘al-Baghdadi message'”, BBC (14 May 2015)
“Battle, animosity, and hatred…directed from the Muslim to the infidel…is the foundation of our religion. And we consider this a justice and kindness to them.” -Osama bin Laden
mortimer says
Iceland’s legal system has a duty to prosecute the guilty. Iceland’s government has a duty to make sure that those who ATTACK visitors to Iceland will not damage the tourist trade.
Iceland needs its tourism. If you express a political opinion in Iceland will young punks kill you?
Yohanan says
Mr. Robert Spencer, Sir,
a) Don’t let up in defending public’s right to freedom of speech. Intentional poisoning with MDMA is severe crime. Iceland authorities should be made aware that covering-up poisoning of speakers and educators is much worse, a political crime against democracy.
b) To the way out comments about appearance of the hospital resident in photo – deadhead leftist, “filthy liberal” (sic) etc. People are judged by their actions and inactions. One can note physician’s cleanliness of hands. But hair style? Hair is local custom and fashion. Similarly Spencer’s lecture, described as “very controversial” in Finland, might be seen as belaboring common knowledge and consensus here in Israel.
c) That the hospital Emergency Dr. Hjalti Már Björnsson did not inform you of MDMA finding is negligence or malpractice.
P.S. Here are a few links (from searching in English) of possible relevance.
1) link to the Icelandic Medical Association’s ethics code (in English)
http://www.lis.is/Assets/Uppl%C3%BDsingar/Codex%20Ethicus%202013%20-%20dt_EN-GB.pdf
2) 17 records from Pubmed
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25827782,25588018,24091099,23881883,23030234,21970769,21535985,20488845,20959682,19471624,17084942,14673568,15077838,12667887,12667170,12468674,10102941?
Carolyne says
It is a matter of cleanliness which is difficult to maintain to sterile standards when one sports a hirsute chin and long frizzy hair. You should know that, Yohanan. A doctor first of all should appear clean. He does not.
Also the Hippocratic oath, which every doctor recites when becoming a practicing physician, begins with:
“First, do no harm.”
This man tried his best to harm Mr. Spencer.
Yohanan says
As I remember Mr. Spencer’s hard post from Reykjavik, that emergency room physician put his own agenda before treating the patient.
Carolyn, I agree the professional appearance of male and female physicians is important for patients and their families – here too. Infection control guidelines cover the use of sterile masks and hair caps in surgery. Some research shows weakness of masks over beards.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26942473,25827694,24069879,24119377,22041150,10651682,9848422,9771168,1765477,3606278?
(p.s. I’m a retired librarian and not a health worker.)
Carolyne says
My husband was an Orthopedic Surgeon who actually read the article to me. He had a neatly trimmed beard which I loved, but he immediately went to his barber and came home clean shaven.
I still insist that Icelandic doctor looks unkempt and I would not like him treating me.
That aside, his action in not revealing to Mr. Spencer the lab results which indicated poisoning with a hallucinogenic was inexcusable.
simpleton1 says
The effect of islam is so insidious.
The increased costs of time and money in security.
The creation of mistrust, to the point of death and terror.
That some of the “modernity of pc etc.” of this supposed new thinking is strongly linking itself to the death cults of communism, nazism and now islam. “A perfect storm”
It is a sad lesson to us all.
I am pleased RS survived, and recovered well.
Well enough now, to lay complaints. Not as revenge, but to learn what is the true reasons, and also to bring an awareness to others.
To show others that there is a major conflict of interests and divide in our societies.
All Thanks RS
Valkyrie Ziege says
; Keep up the good fight, Robert!
Proud Anti-Islam says
What that evil Icelandic doctor did to Robert Spencer is of the devil, satan. He needs to be in jail for life and he needs to have his doctor’s license revoked, forever.
Proud Anti-Islam says
I am very glad that Robert Spencer is taking severe action against that evil Icelandic doctor for malpractice and illegality.
brane pilot says
The problem is not Muslims.
The problem is the countless useful idiots in the West who feel they gain something by groveling before this violent ideology.
I am without a clue why this is.
UNCLE VLADDI says
Deliberate Malpractice. Obviously!
Peacemaker says
Hjalti Már Björnsson is an exemplar of Iceland doctor.
Joeyn says
This doctor sure looks like someone who belongs in jail rather than in a hospital. It is unfortunate that Robert ended up getting treated by him but thank God Robert Is ok.