Opposition Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley has hit out at the Bermuda Hospitals Board after it refused to renew the work permit of a popular doctor because he was 70.

Mr. Dunkley said people would suffer and health costs could rise with more people needing to be sent off the Island for treatment.

The decision to axe American Louis Ivey, who has been practising in Bermuda for ten years, sparked a petition to Premier Alex Scott and Health Minister Patrice Minors.

Petitioners said Dr. Ivey had a string of top level credentials and had served as cardiovascular surgeon to US President Jimmy Carter.

They also said he had helped pioneer the non-surgical treatment of varicose veins with ultrasound but he was now the victim of age discrimination, despite the chronic need for his services on an Island where diabetes is rampant.

The petition also included signed testimonials from patients and fellow medical professionals.

Dr. Robert Martin of Island Health Services said Dr. Ivey had treated many of his patients who said his work was excellent.

Dr. Martin wrote in September: ?Varicose veins are an extremely common problem and in conjunction with diabetes prevalent in our population.?

The problem often caused ulcers. ?This is one of, if not the most common reasons for prolonged hospitalisation in this community, with some patients having a length of stay of over 150 days ? a huge cost to the community.

?I find it incredible that we should cut ourselves off from the service that Dr. Ivey provides simply because of a seriously outdated and arbitrary age limitation.

?I find it even more incredible that we should place ourselves in this situation when we are already under serviced by surgeons. In fact, one of the surgeons on the Island at present will not even see patients for treatment of varicose veins.

?As a General Practitioner, I will now happily complete the HIAB overseas referral form stating that this service is not available in Bermuda and refer my patients overseas at a much greater cost. Is this what we want??

And one patient said she required treatment once an month and it was unfeasible to fly off the Island so often. She called for the age limit to be waived for Dr. Ivey.

Mr. Dunkley said the hospital?s policy should be changed. He said: ?The Hospitals board say they have a policy that nobody can work after they get to 70 but Dr. Keith Cunningham is over 70.

?It isn?t a policy, it?s a selective policy.?

Bermuda Hospitals Board Chairman Jonathan Brewin said Dr. Ivey, who has now returned to Baltimore, had operated as a consultant out of the hospital.

He said Dr. Ivey had been given nine months notice he would have to leave the hospital.

?He could have taken his clinic elsewhere but for some reason he decided not to do that.?

He said Dr. Cunningham was in the process of being replaced and he said the hospital was looking at revising the policy of retiring doctors at 70, although the policy already provides for extensions.