A tribunal has found Dr. Adekunle Williams Owolabi guilty of all four
professional misconduct complaints lodged against him and suspended his
licence to practise for six months.
The decision was given Monday in St. John's, at the professional
misconduct hearing against Owolabi conducted by a tribunal panel
established by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland
and Labrador.
At an earlier hearing, Labrador teacher Arlene Johnson testified that
when she visited Owolabi for a pelvic exam he made comments that she
believed were sexual.
She also said 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 it determined constituted professional misconduct
deserving sanction.
Owolabi 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 practise.
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.
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