Doctor's actions 'dishonourable' - TUUM EST

Doctor's actions 'dishonourable' - Sudbury Local News
20/01/12 1:32 AM
Doctor's actions 'dishonourable'
Jan 19, 2012
By: Sudbury Northern Life Staff
Sudbury physician Dr. Miguel Bonin has lost his right to practise medicine for three months as of Jan. 16 after a series of
interactions with female patients.
His certificate of registration has been suspended by the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
According to information on the college's website, Bonin, who has held a medical licence since 1994 and has been under
restrictions by the college since April 2010, made comments of a sexual nature to patients, including three who were pregnant.
In one instance, while performing a vaginal exam on a pregnant patient in 2007, Bonin reportedly said “you like it dirty, you like it
rough,” and also said to her, “I became this kind of doctor so I could see pretty women in my office.”
Bonin also reportedly asked another pregnant patient during a 2007 exam how often she has sex with her husband and how many
times she climaxes. While being educated on breastfeeding, Bonin reportedly told her she was well endowed and has a very nice
cup size.
The college's discipline committee found during a Jan. 16 hearing that Bonin “committed an act of professional misconduct, in that
he engaged in conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practise of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would
reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”
Besides his certificate of registration being suspended, Bonin, who does not currently have a practice location, must be monitored
by another doctor under a variety of circumstances, including during physical examinations of female patients.
If he acts as a surgical assistant, “he must be in the presence of a regulated health professional throughout the entirety of the
encounter with the female patient.”
He must also submit to unannounced inspections of his office, practice, and patient charts by a college representative “for the
purposes of monitoring and enforcing his compliance with the terms of this order.”
Bonin is to appear before the college to be reprimanded, and must pay the college “costs in the amount of $7,300 within 90 days of
this order.”
Posted by Arron Pickard
© 2012 Laurentian Media Group
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The Sudbury Star
22/04/12 1:18 AM
« Back
Local doctor being investigated
Posted 1 year ago
Restrictions have been placed on the practice of Sudbury family physician Dr. Miguel Bonin after two female
patients have stepped forward with allegations of sexual abuse.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has posted the following explanation on its website:
"It is alleged that Dr. Bonin sexually abused two patients, and committed acts relevant to the practice of
medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded as disgraceful,
dishonourable or unprofessional."
Until his hearing before the college's Discipline Committee, Bonin, who has been practising as a family physician
since the mid-1990s and delivers babies, can only meet with his female patients in the presence of a monitor,
approved by the college. This monitor is required to log all of the doctor's encounters with female patients. As
well, a representative from the college can drop in unannounced at any time to inspect his office.
These restrictions were put in place as of April 29. While the information can be found under the physician's
name on the college's website, The Sudbury Star only became aware of the allegations after a reader sent an e-
mail directing the newspaper to a link on the website.
"What is occurring, we have completed the investigation and made a referral of specified allegations relating to
Dr. Bonin, referred to the college's discipline committee," explained KathrynClarke, Sr. Communications
Coordinator for the college. "This referral (to the discipline committee) was made toward the end of March,
March 23rd."
No date has been set for the hearing. The college won't reveal when the patients, known as A and B, came
forward.
The Notice of Hearing document lists some of the allegations. Patient A was with Bonin from 2003 to 2008.
During their patient-physician relationship, he allegedly engaged in "touching, fondling, and kissing Patient A's
breasts and making comments of a sexual nature to Patient A."
Patient B was under his care for a year, from 2007 to 2008. During this time he is alleged to have been "making
comments of a sexual nature."
Should he be found guilty, there are various disciplines that the college can employ. They range from revoking
his certificate which allows him to practise to taking it away for a period of time to imposing terms and conditions
on his ability to practise.
He could also be required to appear before a panel to be reprimanded. Financial penalties can include a fine of
$35,000 to the Ministry of Finance, payments to cover the patients' care under one of the college's program, or
covering the college's expenses related to the case.
"I do not know whether the complainants have been in touch with the police," said Clarke.
"It would be up to the complainants to decide whether they want to proceed with a separate process. We
administer the investigative here, and where warranted a discipline process to determine whether or not action
needs to be taken affecting the doctor's ability to process."
Greater Sudbury Police were contacted to see if they were also investigating the doctor. They agreed to look into
it, however, did not return The Star's phone call to confirm or deny whether an investigation has been initiated by
press time.
The son of former MP Raymond Bonin, Miguel made headlines in January 2007 editions of The Sudbury Star for
his criticism of the state of the Sudbury Regional Hospital's facilities, specifically an operating room at Memorial
Hospital.
At the time Bonin said he had delivered about 150 babies and occasionally assisted with surgeries.
"Services are not as good as they should be," he said, because doctors and nurses work "in a 50-year-old
institution that's falling apart."
Bonin was referring to Operating Room 3 at the hospital's Memorial site, which he said had four large holes in
the ceiling that could pose a health hazard if dust fell through them.
He said the operating tables are also antiquated and difficult to angle properly for medical procedures.
He wanted hospital president and chief executive officer Vickie Kaminski and hospital board chair Gisele
Chretien to tell the ministry and Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci: "We have a problem in Sudbury."
However, Kaminski said that Bonin had never alerted the hospital directly about the problem, but rather had
taken his complaint directly to the media.
Bonin is listed in the phone book as working at the address of the Brady Clinic, but an employee there said he
has not worked at the clinic for about a year.
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