Doctors allowed to practice during complaint investigations

Watch above: doctors in the province are allowed to practice during a complaint investigation

SASKATOON-  A doctor in Regina is facing some serious allegations. Dr. Olanrewaju Onasanya has been charged with improper and unprofessional conduct under the medical profession act.

Accused of touching a female patient inappropriately during a breast and pelvic exam, Dr. Onasayna will still be entitled to practice medicine until his case concludes.

“That was investigated, it resulted in a report and now charges so what I anticipate will occur is in the next period of time we’ll be setting a hearing date then the discipline committee will have to decide whether some or all or part of the charges are proven,” said Bryan Salte of the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Released as part of an executive summary from the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeon’s March meeting, nine points were outlined as evidence related to a single charge against Dr. Onasayna.

At this time, he hasn’t entered a plea, but if he pleads not guilty he will have to appear in front disciplinary committee. Serious allegations, but not enough to suspend the doctor in the meantime.

“You have to be able to demonstrate that there is a significant and on-going concern that the public is at risk if that person continues to practice and with a single allegations that is denied by the physician you seldom reach that threshold,” explained Salte.

A challenge posed by the courts and why many physicians in the province  who have complaints filed against them are allowed to practice medicine during the investigative process.

“You can only suspend a physician if there are no other public protection measures that you can take that will adequately protect the public” said Salte.

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Currently, there are approximately 30 physicians in the province who have complaints filed against them. Some are in the very early stages where the compliant may be dismissed at a later date.  Nonetheless, it’s a small fraction of the 2,000 practicing medicine in Saskatchewan says the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

“If you look at 15 of those which may ultimately come to some resolution, 10 or 15 that’s a very small percentage of the number of physicians in Saskatchewan,” said Salte.

One doctor still practicing in the province has two unrelated complaints filed against them, neither is sexual in nature.

“That hasn’t occurred for some period of time but it has occurred in the past with some of the physicians, none of whom are currently practicing,” said Salte.

Several measures are currently in place to help prevent physician-related complaints but Salte says no matter what industry you’re in there are a certain number of professionals who will engage in unprofessional conduct.

“To try to prevent somebody it’s in a way like saying why don’t the police prevent crime, if the circumstances exist that somebody is going to act unprofessionally, it’s very hard to have measures in place that would prevent that,” said Salte.

Whether this province has a higher number of doctor complaints compared to the rest of the country is hard to determine.

The province operates two streams to address complaints, one for unprofessional conduct like inappropriate sexual behavior with patients, billing fraud or breach of confidentiality, the other stream is for quality assurance.

Most other provinces only operate under one stream, if a doctor prescribes the wrong antibiotic to a patient or engages in a sexual assault both are dealt with using the same mechanism.