A Durban psychiatrist, who had a four-month affair with a patient, has been suspended from practise.
|||A Durban psychiatrist, who had a four-month affair with a patient in 2009, has been prevented from practising after unsuccessfully appealing against the one-year suspension for the indiscretion.
Dr Dinesh Singh, who pleaded guilty last year to unprofessional conduct for having a sexual relationship with the patient, lodged an appeal against the one-year suspension from practising imposed on him by the professional conduct committee of the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA).
The appeal was dismissed on Friday and his suspension was upheld.
The doctor, believed to be in his forties, argued that the committee did not properly consider his plea explanation and failed to consider that the patient was pro-active in pursuing a relationship with him, thus handing down a sentence that was “shockingly inappropriate” in that it was too severe.
In the judgment, chairman of the appeals committee, Pule Maoka, said Singh’s actions were disgraceful and displayed a selfish personal interest directed at a mentally disturbed woman.
Maoka said Singh’s misconduct was rendered all the moreserious by the fact that he betrayed the relationship of trust that must have existed between him and the patient by suddenlyturning on her when he knew she was helpless, visiting her at the hospital and even sending her text messages telling her to withdraw the charges.
In her statement, the patient said she wanted the relationship to stop but did not know how to stop it.
Her work life and marriage were affected and she even blamed herself.
In February 2010, at a closed hearing held by the HPCSA’s conduct committee, Singh pleaded guilty to unprofessional conduct for having a sexual relationship with a married patient from April 2009 to August 2009.
Singh would have sex with the woman in his office when she came in for her appointment and and also met her at restaurants and bars.
The patient said Singh asked her for naked pictures of herself. The relationship reached a stage where she became obsessed with Singh and wanted to see him all the time.
When Singh terminated their relationship she had to be hospitalised for severe depression.
After several weeks of therapy with another psychiatrist the woman lodged a complaint with the HPCSA.
Implicated
“The interests of society are implicated in a case that involves a doctor-patient relationship and a serious degree of misconduct against a woman.
“As abuse against women is generally prevalent, society is entitled to expect of tribunals that they impose sentences that send the message clearly that abuse against the vulnerable will not be tolerated,” Maoka said.
The committee found that the facts underlying the charges revealed dishonesty, selfishness, an intrinsic lack of judgement and a callous disregard for the physical and emotional well-being of the patient.
Singh, a single father of two minor children, was diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder and is currentlyreceiving treatment.
His wife was killed in a motor vehicle accident in December 2010. - Daily News