Public health experts have called for stricter penalties for health clinics that lack adequate sterilization methods since two Ottawa clinics were caught red-handed in two years.
In October 2010, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario slapped Dr. Hazem Al Hamdy with a three-month suspension on his medical license and restricted him from performing circumcisions, and other surgical procedures.
Hamdy runs a men’s health clinic on James Street.
According to the discipline committee at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Hamdy performed surgical procedures with outdated and inadequate sterilization methods which resulted in a botched circumcision on an 18-year-old patient, who contracted an infection after the procedure.
Since then, public health experts have called for tougher policies toward lax sterilization methods and said the repercussions for serious cases of professional misconduct don’t result in the proper penalties.
The most recent case involves Dr. Christiane Farazli’s endoscopy clinic on Carling Avenue. The clinic is currently under investigation for potentially infecting 6,800 patients with HIV or hepatitis.
The medical college ordered Farazli to stop performing endoscopies, a procedure that involves examining the inside of the body with a small camera, when it failed an inspection. The inspection revealed that infection and cleaning protocols were not always followed during the procedures.
The college did not impose restrictions on Farazli’s license while she is under investigation.
Changes to provincial legislation in 2010 now call for standards in infection control practices. The legislation outlines safety standards and allows medical colleges to perform on-the-spot inspections at clinics that perform surgical procedures.