A senior house officer who worked at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise has failed to appear at a Medical Council inquiry into his conduct.
There are five allegations of professional misconduct or poor professional performance against Dr Vincent Osunkwo.
It is alleged that in March 2009, he tried to read a spinal x-ray while holding it upside down.
On another occasion that month, he allegedly asked nursing staff if a patient's pulse rate reading of 165 beats a minute was high.
The inquiry has heard that Dr Osunkwo tried to cannulate a patient using a scalpel to cut the patient's hand. In the case of another patient, he made an excessive number of attempts to take a blood sample.
It is further alleged that in April 2009 he told members of his team that a patient was fine, when the patient was receiving oxygen in intensive care.
He also told a member of his team that a patient had a benign prostate condition when this was not the case.
The fitness-to-practise inquiry is as a result of a complaint made by the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster.
Barrister Rory Mulcahy, for the Medical Council's CEO, told the inquiry that the last time it had heard from the doctor was in July.
Dr Osunkwo had informed them that he wanted to come to Ireland but said he could not get a visa.
Mr Mulcahy said the council had offered to allow him to take part by telephone and that it had properly served him with notice of today's inquiry.
The fitness-to-practise committee adjourned the case to another day, as it wants to know more about the visa issue.
It was also concerned that the council had not suggested the doctor could participate by video-link.
