After a Pilbara doctor violated medical procedures, hundreds of people in Western Australia's North West are going to be screened to see whether they have contracted any infectious diseases.

Medical screening to the 250 patients who underwent procedures in three hospitals in the region is offered by the WA Health Department.

The exact nature of the doctor's errors has not been revealed, though the department revealed that the anesthetist was using procedures that were obsolete. When the breach came to light, the doctor was suspended, for he had violated infection control procedures, thereby putting the patients at risk.

Gary Geelhoed from the Australian Medical Association opined that doctors in regional areas face specific issues. Though, the investigation is still under progress.

Dr. Geelhoed said, “It also does highlight the problems with isolated practitioners also maintaining their skills because clearly they don't have as many resources or opportunities as doctors in the city”.

He added further that these doctors do tend to work longer hours and shoulder more responsibility. This makes them so busy that they hardly find any time to keep up with their education.