Surgeon’s Career At Stake After Turning Terrorist Attack Victim’s X-Ray Into NFT

Back in November 2015, six sites in Paris were targeted in coordinated terrorist attacks, killing over 130 people and wounding another 350. 

Not used to dealing with the influx of critical patients, impromptu surgical teams were set up to deal with the dying and wounded, with more than 35 teams operating by the middle of the night, as per Input.

Emmanuel Masmejean, an orthopedic surgeon at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital, headed one of those teams, though it’s since emerged that he would use his position on the night as a cash grab six years later, which has landed him in hot water.

French newspaper Mediapart reported that Masmejean had recently tried to sell the X-ray of one of the patients he attended to as a non-fungible token (NFT) on OpenSea for US$2,776.

Though it’s since been removed, the listing was titled Bataclan terrorist attack — November 13, 2015 — Paris, France, with the description noting that he had operated on the woman whose arm featured in the image, in addition to five other female patients.

“This young patient, who lost her boyfriend in this attack, had an open fracture of the left forearm with a remaining bullet of [Kalashnikov] in soft tissues,” Masmejean wrote. 

Even more startling, the surgeon admitted to Mediapart that he had not sought the patient’s consent before listing the NFT. 

“Yes, I’ve done a stupid thing. What is written there is an error, I recognize that,” he said. 

However, his apology may not be enough to save his job. According to The Washington Post, Martin Hirsch, the managing director of the APHP—the hospital network overseeing Georges Pompidou—said in a tweet that he would be pushing for sanctions and legal charges against Masmejean. 

Pour qu’il n’y ait aucune ambiguïté sur notre indignation, je partage exceptionnellement le message que j’ai adressé ce soir à l’ensemble de l’@APHP pic.twitter.com/VLbfICPuhc

— Martin Hirsch (@MartinHirsch) January 22, 2022

“Such behavior is unworthy and offends our conception of public service. It would be outrageous in any circumstance and for any patient,” Hirsch tweeted. 

“It is especially abject in the context of the ongoing trials and what the victims of these attacks have endured,” he added. 

Elodie Abraham, the lawyer of the woman whose image was posted for sale, told The Post that her client was “extremely shocked.” 

She revealed that Masmejean had reached out to speak to the patient, though not to apologize, but to “justify himself without showing the slightest regret, nor the slightest empathy for her.” 

The patient in question hopes that Masmejean will face consequences for his actions so such an egregious breach will never happen again.

[via Input and The Washington Post, cover image via Wellesenterprises | Dreamstime.com]