Efe Ovueni, a Nigerian doctor working in Canada, has been barred from practicing medicine for three months due to unprofessional behavior.
During a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta tribunal hearing, the medical practitioner accused of hugging and kissing a coworker agreed to doing so without her consent.
On Jan. 21, 2020, the doctor summoned a member of the medical office staff to his office, where he hugged her four times and kissed her.
After the incident, the doctor texted the employee, saying things like, “Hope you are not furious with me?” and “I got too excited.”
The doctor apologized and said, “Thank you for…your grin,” when the victim said, “That’s OK, but it was going too far.”
Following the conclusion of its hearing in December 2021, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) tribunal confirmed the doctor’s suspension on Thursday, February 4.
The doctor’s acts did not meet the standards for sexual misconduct under the Health Professions Act since the victim was a staff member, not a patient, according to the tribunal hearing.
After serving two weeks of his sentence, Ovueni will be allowed to resume practicing since 2.5 months of his three-month punishment will be put in abeyance for a period of five years. A fine was also imposed on the doctor.
According to the tribunal,
“He shall be suspended for a period of three months, with two weeks to be served on dates acceptable to the Complaints Director and completed within six months of the date the Hearing Tribunal issues its written decision, and the remaining 2.5 months held in abeyance on the condition that no further boundary concerns are brought to the Complaints Director’s attention and referred to an investigation for a period of five years after the Hearing Tribunal issues its written decision.”
“If additional boundary concerns are brought to the Complaints Director’s attention and referred to an investigation within 5 years of the Hearing Tribunal’s written decision, the Complaints Director shall be free to impose sanctions.”