The President of the Medical Council has called on women who had unnecessary hysterectomies at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda to lodge formal complaints with the gardaí.
Dr John Hillery made his comments following the announcement of a new garda investigation arising from the publication of a report into the level of caesarean hysterectomies performed in the Co Louth hospital.
The report revealed that 188 women had their wombs removed over a 25-year period. 129 of those were carried out by Dr Michael Neary.
Last year, the gardaí investigated the disappearance of medical files relating to more than 40 women at the centre of the controversy.
A file on the case was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions who directed that no further action be taken.
However, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, sent a copy of Judge Maureen Harding Clark's report to the Garda Commissioner.
Photocopies of some of the missing files were discovered when gardaí raided Dr Neary’s home in Monasterboice. Dr Neary denies any knowledge of the missing files.
However in her report, Judge Clark said there was a deliberate, careful and systematic removal of key historical documents from the hospital and that someone with a misplaced sense of loyalty to Dr Neary was probably responsible.
Dr Neary, who was abroad at the time of the publication of the report, returned home recently.
It is understood as part of their investigation gardaí will be speaking to the former consultant in the coming weeks.
