Claudia Gomez had just moved to Canada from Colombia when she says she had a traumatic experience with a gynecologist.
She said she went in for a pap test and was instead given a biopsy, with no warning.
“I was by myself, I didn’t have any path to protect myself. I started bleeding and she said I could be in pain for a few days,” said Gomez, recalling the experience she said happened four years ago.
“I didn’t know the system and I thought I didn’t have any other options.”
After CBC Toronto was first to report on a Toronto gynecologist linked to potential exposure to blood-borne infections, several patients reached out with their own negative experiences with Dr. Esther Park. Many of them were new to Canada, and said not knowing the language or how to navigate the medical system made it harder for them to complain — something advocates say is a wider issue across the health-care system.
Around 2,500 patients were notified by Toronto Public Health (TPH) earlier this year that they may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C & HIV at Park’s clinic due to improper cleaning protocols — including speculums not being dissembled before they were cleaned, and “significant overdiluting” of disinfecting solution. TPH says there are no updates to share on the investigation and no infections confirmed related to the practice.
Gomez said after the experience, she ended up going to a nearby non-profit that provides immigration and settlement support for help. There, she said, she was provided with pain medication, a pad and a safe place to rest. At the time, she didn’t know she could file a complaint through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). And as a newcomer, she felt she didn’t have a voice.
“My English was bad, I felt hopeless,” she said.
Natalie Mehra is the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, a non-profit that advocates to protect and improve health care. She says people are already very reticent to complain about doctors.
“People are afraid to do it and there’s a big power imbalance. Language barriers can make access even worse,” she said.
“I would always encourage people to make a complaint to the college. They do an investigation, and that’s important because if there really is a problem, that’s really the only accountability.”
CPSO says interpreters available to help
The CPSO is also investigating Park in relation to infection control issues in her practice. It has not shared specifics or the number of complaints filed about Park, citing confidentiality restrictions.
The CPSO’s physician register says Park’s licence has been restricted as of December to office-based gynecology.
In a statement to CBC Toronto, the CPSO says it aims to provide the public with access to services and support in the language of their choice. “For example, with the support of an audio interpretation service, patients calling the College can connect with an interpreter in one of 240 languages,” the statement said.
“The interpreter can facilitate communication, and ensure any questions or concerns are accurately presented.”
Reaction is pouring in after CBC News was first to report on hundreds of patients being exposed to an infection risk at a Toronto gynecologist office. Dozens more patients have been reaching out sharing their negative encounters with the doctor. CBC’s Talia Ricci has more from a patient who filed an official complaint years before reports of an infection risk.
Syed Hussan is the executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, a member-led organization that advocates for worker and immigration justice. He says there also need to be more measures in place to make sure people in positions of power working with a vulnerable population are being held accountable and educated on the proper protocols.
“So long as you have a system based on complaints and not a system based on proactive enforcement, people who are disempowered won’t be able to protect themselves,” he said.
Doctor, clinic offer no response
CBC Toronto has made multiple attempts to contact the clinic but it hasn’t provided any response. The office’s answering machine states Park is retiring and shutting down the office in April.
Meanwhile, Gomez now works in health care as an occupational therapist. Looking back, she wishes she had spoken up.
“At one point I just I felt like giving up, staying with the illness and seeing what happens because I couldn’t go back there,” she recalled.
Gomez has since found a new gynecologist through the non-profit that was supporting her when she first moved to Toronto.
She hopes that her story will encourage more patients, especially women new to Canada, to file a complaint or say something if they don’t feel their health isn’t in the right hands.
