MONTREAL – Doctors at the Lakeshore General Hospital were scrambling to contact hundreds of patients after learning that the initial colonoscopy exam results were botched.
Dr. Richard Germain, president of the Pointe Claire hospital’s Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists outlined details at a Wednesday afternoon news conference, along with gastroenterologist Nadeem Ahmed and Geraldine Matthews, Specialized Unit Coordinator.
In total, the recall involves 684 patients who had colonoscopies performed between 2009-2012.
Officials confirmed that the doctor who conducted the examinations no longer works at the Lakeshore General Hospital, but he was not identified.
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A colonoscopy is a diagnostic procedure to screen for, and prevent, colorectal cancer. The announcement comes in the wake of increasingly high numbers of Quebecers waiting to receive the procedure.
In addition to the Lakeshore, other Montreal hospitals have been struggling with the surging demand for colonoscopies, even as the provincial government moves to implement a province-wide colonoscopy screening program, similar to the one for mammography.
Some patients with a family history of colorectal cancer have been told to wait as long as four years for a colonoscopy at the Jewish General Hospital.
The hospital says patients have been advised by letter that they should be examined again.
Hospital hours will be extended to accommodate the patients and agreements have also been reached with other Montreal-area hospitals to treat them as well.
The facility says the re-testing is being done as a preventive measure so the patients concerned don’t have any doubts about the state of their health.
Patients with questions are invited to contact the Hospital at 514-630-2105.
– With files from The Gazette and The Canadian Press
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