Hands
By Eric Dowd
Toronto – Too many doctors are
unable to keep their hands off patients and it is becoming more difficult
to keep sweeping this under the rug.
Concern
at sexual abuse of female patients by a small proportion of male doctors
has increased over the past decade.
This
column claimed recently it is among reasons doctors no longer are on the
pedestal on which the public traditionally has placed them.
The
Ontario Medical Association, which represents doctors, leaped as if jabbed
with a blunt needle, accusing the writer of being negative and in the
dark.
The
OMA said doctors are required to keep to the highest standards and, while
some in every profession behave badly, cases of doctors misbehaving are
few and far between.
It
added most doctors do all they can for their patients, although this was
never in dispute.
The
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, which licenses and
regulates doctors, has now delivered what is in effect a second opinion
not supportive of the OMA.
The
college normally reports its disciplinary actions against doctors in its
official newsletter, published six times a year, at the rate of an average
couple per issue.
But
it has dealt with so many recently it said it is taking the unusual step
of making its latest, October issue `a special edition devoted entirely to
the publication of discipline summaries.’
It
said this was necessary because there has been a sharp increase in the
number of hearings of complaints against doctors and this has created a
backlog in publishing them it has to reduce.
The
wrongdoings included doctors charging for treatments they did not give and
doctors providing substandard service, but most were of sexual abuse.
In
one, Dr. Alan Ralph Abelsohn of Toronto was found to have sexually abused
a woman patient on more than 30 occasions by rubbing his hands over her
breast and buttocks, and the college suspended his licence for 12 months.
Dr.
Stanley Thomas Dobrowolski of London was suspended for six months after he
treated a woman for depression by means including massaging the top of her
leg and met her in a hotel room where she said he fondled her breasts.
Dr.
James Rolf Gatrall of Windsor had sex with one woman patient several times
in his office and with another in exchange for prescribing a medically
unnecessary drug to which she became addicted, and the college took away
his licence.
Dr.
Larry Scott Henderson of Whitby treated a woman and her children for five
years and soon after began a romantic and sexual relationship with her,
which the college ruled dishonorable and unprofessional, and it suspended
his licence for three months.
Dr.
Vasilios Kavouris of Brampton treated a woman, her husband and children
and had a romantic relationship with her that included some sexual
contact, and the college suspended him for nine months.
Dr.
Philip Daniel Kernerman of Toronto, while working in two hospitals,
behaved on a number of occasions in what the college called an
inappropriate or sexually suggestive manner to female staff and visitors
and it revoked his licence.
Dr.
Stephen George Ross of Tottenham stood too close to patients and nurses in
a hospital and poked and touched them inappropriately and touched his
genitals. He said he was being playful, but the college found this
unprofessional and reprimanded him.
Dr.
Ian Kent Shiozaki of Newboro had a nurse whom he also treated and fondled
her breasts and they undressed and he lay on top of her in his office,
although they did not have intercourse. The college suspended him for six
months.
Dr.
Mark Lawrence Waxman of Hamilton had sex with two women patients. He
discussed the marital problems of one and then went to her home, where
they had intercourse regularly, and the college revoked his licence.
So
many cases underline doctors are in a special position to take advantage
of vulnerable women and this is not a small issue, although some pretend
it barely exists.
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