Dialogue Volume 11 Issue 2 2015 | Page 62

discipline summaries Patient T Dr. Farazli engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct in relation to Patient T in her inappropriate and unprofessional communications with the patient; in proceeding with a procedure when the patient was in obvious distress from insufficient sedation; and in exposing the patient to potential infection. The patient underwent a colonoscopy and was caused excruciating pain by the procedure. Undertaking Dr. Farazli suffers from debilitating medical conditions that have contributed to her inability to practise medicine. She has not performed procedures since early June 2011 and has not engaged in the practice of medicine in any way since approximately mid-2012. Dr. Farazli executed an undertaking never to engage in the practice of medicine again. Reasons for Penalty It was clear to the Committee that Dr. Farazli displayed a blatant disregard for her patients’ care and safety. Patients in the very vulnerable position of having a colonoscopy or gastroscopy were treated in an abusive and insensitive manner. Her patients were put at risk of acquiring Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV through Dr. Farazli’s unconscionable disregard for infection control. All 20 of the complaints investigations resulted in findings by the Committee of disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct with additional findings of misconduct or incompetence in some cases. Dr. Farazli engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct in her communication and interactions with patients. She performed procedures in a rough and callous manner without providing appropriate analgesia. She also communicated with patients in an abusive manner. Two patients were charged for medications which were not administered. Dr. Farazli contravened regulations under the Medicine Act, 1991 by failing to maintain adequate records regarding one patient. Dr. Farazli failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession in relation to several complainants including by attempting to have a sales agent assist her in one patient’s medical procedure, in relation to another patient by failing to pursue further investigation within a reasonable time given the patient’s advanced lesion, and in her documentation regarding one patient. 62 Dialogue Issue 2, 2015 In respect of the section 75 investigation regarding five patients, she failed to maintain the standard of practice in not offering patients and referring physicians reasonable options for management. Dr. Farazli failed to maintain the standard of care and demonstrated incompetence in not providing adequate analgesia to Patient J during a colonoscopy, and displayed incompetence in not aborting Patient Q’s gastroscopy and failing to offer alternative investigations or the attempting of the procedure with the assistance of an anesthetist. Regarding her facility, Dr. Farazli failed to adhere to basic infection control practices. She failed to maintain the standard of care on multiple fronts (infection control, reprocessing, training and certification of staff, adequate facility maintenance and emergency preparedness) and thereby demonstrated incompetence. Through her failures, she exposed thousands of patients to potential infection, causing significant emotional distress to these patients and a large cost to society for investigations that were subseq Y[