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Experts evaluated at hearing for P.E.I. psychiatrist

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The report from an investigation commissioned by Well being P.E.I. into allegations {of professional} misconduct by a P.E.I. psychiatrist is not going to be admitted as proof within the listening to, the events heard on March 28.

Dr. Arvind Singh is accused of misconduct in his care of a affected person with superior Huntington’s illness whereas she stayed on the Prince County Hospital (PCH) in 2017 and 2018. His listening to is being held in Charlottetown.

The affected person’s father filed a proper criticism with Dr. Heather Keizer in July 2018, and, on behalf of Well being P.E.I., she commissioned Dr. Curt Peters, a psychiatrist from Halifax, to look into the allegations. The listening to committee heard final week that Peters spoke to workers on the PCH and submitted a report on July 23, 2018.

Discussions as as to if to confess the report took most of Friday, March 25, with the listening to committee electing to deliberate over the weekend.

“The choice of the committee is that we’ll not settle for it into proof,” mentioned Dr. Rosemary Henderson, chair of the listening to committee on March 28.

Doug Drysdale, the lawyer representing the faculty, mentioned Well being P.E.I. held the report and wouldn’t launch it to the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons.

Drysdale mentioned he needed to request the report underneath the Well being Info Act, and it was finally supplied to him on Nov. 15, 2021.

Because the listening to was initially scheduled for January 2022, the listening to committee determined there wouldn’t have been sufficient time for the group representing Singh to arrange.

“We’ve concluded that the unavoidably late disclosure of the Peters report might have doubtlessly hindered Dr. Singh’s counsel within the preparation and presentation of the total and correct defence of Dr. Singh. That might be unfair to Dr. Singh and can be a violation of the ideas of pure justice,” mentioned Henderson.

Subsequent witness

Drysdale then referred to as Dr. Serge Lessard to testify as an skilled witness.

Lessard has practised psychiatry for greater than 20 years in Ontario and spent an extended stint in a director’s position on the educating hospital on the College of Ottawa. Amongst many credentials and {qualifications}, he has offered greater than 500 talks on psychiatric subjects.

The committee heard Lessard was requested by the P.E.I. Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons to supply an skilled opinion on the case in July 2020. The self-discipline and registration committee despatched a 14-page letter, 11 pages of which was a abstract of details about the case.

Lessard mentioned he then went by way of greater than 8,000 pages of information together with medical reviews, emails and correspondence earlier than he returned a 22-page report.

Whereas not one of the attorneys objected to Lessard’s {qualifications} as an skilled psychiatrist, Janet Clark, one of many attorneys representing Singh, objected to Lessard’s impartiality.

She mentioned that Lessard had been requested by the faculty to offer an skilled opinion concerning a criticism of an identical nature in opposition to Singh simply seven months earlier than.

Though Lessard advised the committee he was capable of be neutral, Clark mentioned bias will be unconscious.

“That’s balancing the potential prejudice to the method and the get together concerned in opposition to the advantage of admitting the skilled proof. It’s a must to take a look at the potential hurt if the proof is available in and examine it to the advantage of receiving proof,” mentioned Clark.

Moreover, Clark objected to the 14-page letter from the faculty getting admitted into proof as a result of the knowledge was a abstract.

“At finest, it is likely to be double or triple rumour that was supplied to Dr. Lessard,” mentioned Clark.

After consideration, the committee determined to permit Lessard to testify as an skilled witness. His testimony will likely be heard when the listening to resumes on March 29.

The letter from the faculty to Lessard is not going to be admitted as proof, however the report Lessard supplied to the faculty will likely be used.

Alison Jenkins is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island.

Twitter.com/AlisonEBC



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