A Canadian medical tribunal has
found Nigerian doctor, Adekunle Williams Owolabi guilty of all four
professional misconduct complaints lodged against him and ordered that his
license to practice be suspended for six months. The tribunal heard of how Owolabi
made sexual comments to some of his female patients who came to him for medical
examination.
At the hearing, one of his victims,
Arlene Johnson, testified that when she visited Owolabi for a pelvic
examination, he made comments that she believed were sexual. She alleged that
after the test, he hugged her and whispered in her ear: "You have a
beautiful c--t, does your husband tell you that?"
Another complainant testified that
during a pelvic examination, Owolabi asked, "Do you like big ones or small
ones?" She said Owolabi made the comments while she was pregnant,
undressed from the waist down, and had her feet in stirrups. There were two
female secretaries in the room at the time, she said.
The tribunal said Owolabi's
inappropriate comments and touching of patients showed a lack of respect for
the dignity and privacy of patients, which constituted professional misconduct
that is deserving of a sanction. He was given a six-month suspension of his
medical licence.
The tribunal ordered that he have a
chaperone present when he sees female patients for two years after returning to
practice.
In addition, he must take a training
course about respecting patients and was ordered to pay $75,000 towards the
costs of holding a hearing. After the hearing Owolabi's lawyer Paul Stokes said
they are "disappointed with the decision".
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