St. Albert doctor sanctioned after admitting to unprofessional conduct

A professional college tribunal sanctioned a St. Albert physician after he admitted to unprofessional conduct.

Dr. Aimen Fateis, a general practitioner, was accused of failing to detect and remove a foreign body from his patient's eye, amending the patient's medical record without following proper conventions, and failing to accurately respond to the physician's college about the incident.

On Friday, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) released a statement about the tribunal hearing that occurred in May.

The complaint was made by the mother of the patient for a visit in January 2019. According to the CPSA report, the patient reported having an object in his eye due to a workplace injury. A few days later, the patient visited an optometrist who was able to diagnose the issue.

"Dr. Fateis admitted that he failed to provide appropriate care," the report read.

The doctor's counsel told the tribunal that Dr. Fateis was "remorseful and reflective of his behaviour."

"Dr. Fateis attempted to use his memory to provide a response that he believed was truthful, and failed to itemize how he got there."

While the situation was "serious," the college says the patient did not suffer irreversible harm due to the incident.

The college suspended Fateis' practice permit for two months, with one month to be served and the second held in abeyance pending the completion of training ordered by the tribunal.

At his own expense, Fateis is to complete courses on ethics and boundaries, ophthalmological emergencies, and record keeping. The doctor is also responsible for 75 per cent of the investigation and hearing costs, with the final amount to be determined.