Nervous patients call hospital after anesthetist charged with sex assaults
March 12, 2010
Theresa Boyle
HEALTH REPORTER
Nervous, former patients of North York General Hospital are contacting the facility and police after sexual assault charges were laid against an anesthetist.
Monica, a 31-year-old Toronto woman, told the Star on Friday that she was alarmed to learn that her anesthetist in two operations performed in 2007 had been charged with assaulting three sedated woman during surgery.
“How are we supposed to know if anything happened? When you’re under, you don’t remember anything,” she said, explaining that she contacted the hospital earlier in the day as a precaution.
“You’re put under for a few hours, so you don’t know what’s happening with your body,” she added.
Anesthetist Dr. George Doodnaught has been charged with sexually assaulting three patients at the hospital. The alleged assaults involved female patients in their 30s to late 80s and took place between August 2007 and last month.
The allegations have not been proved in court.
Doodnaught worked at the hospital for 28 years and police believe there could be more victims. Former surgical patients who have concerns are asked to call the Toronto police sex assault squad at 416-808-4040 or the hospital at 416-756-6271. Both the police and the hospital say they have been receiving calls.
Monica said she has no memory of anything untoward happening during her surgeries and actually recalls Doodnaught as a “sweetheart” and a professional who tried to put her at ease.
She said she was told by the hospital that her medical files would be checked to confirm that Doodnaught was her anesthetist and that some information would be sent to her within a week
She asked that her last name not be made public and declined to reveal any details about her surgeries.
Meantime, police are looking at private clinics, including cosmetic surgery clinics, where Doodnaught also worked.
“We are following up. The clinics that we are aware of have been notified,” said Det. Sgt. Robb Knapper of the Toronto Police Service.
Hospital officials say they first heard concerns about Doodnaught from a patient last month. Doodnaught, 61, agreed to stop working at the hospital at the time.
It is not clear how the two earlier alleged assaults came to light.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is also investigating Doodnaught. Its website lists no restrictions or disciplinary action taken against him. The college won’t reveal whether there have ever been any complaints made against Doodnaught. Complaints are only made public if they are deemed to have merit and referred to the college’s disciplinary committee for a public hearing.
Darcy Merkur, a lawyer with Thomson Rogers, is representing one of the alleged victims and said he has been receiving calls from other former surgical patients who are concerned that Doodnaught may have been present during their surgeries.
“We are addressing the viability of a class action,” he said. “An issue that would be front and centre in any claim would be the hospital’s knowledge of other complaints.”
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, there is a rare condition known as “anesthetic awareness” in which surgical patients under sedation can recall their surroundings.
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