Tribunal rules doctor who removed patient ovaries without consent is 'fit to practice' – why?
A petition has begun after a tribunal ruled a doctor who removed two women's ovaries without consent fit to practice. Ali Shokouh-Amiri was given a warning as it was ruled he had 'shown good insight into his failures'.
It added found that Dr Shokouh-Amiri had completed a course on professional boundaries, has an 'otherwise unblemished career'. Extensive testimonials also 'demonstrated his excellence as a clinician'.
A partner at the Medical Specialist Group (MSG) from 2016 to 2019, he has 24 instances of proven inappropriate behaviour against his name. They include removing the left ovary of one patient without consent, which she said had 'ruined her life'; the removal of the ovaries of another patient who said it had brought on the menopause prematurely; performing intimate examinations without a chaperone; rubbing and/or touching a patient's leg and hugging a patient following a consultation.
At his Medical Practitioners Tribunal hearing, Dr Shokouh-Amiri said he 'was offering compassion and support… to provide comfort and reassurance,' report the BBC. He is currently working as a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Mid and South Essex University Hospital.
A petition on Change.org is calling for his license to be revoked and has received nearly 13,500 signatures at the time of writing.
'We need to stand up for the victims and ensure that our community remains a safe place for them to seek healthcare services. Let's call on our local and national health officials to take immediate, corrective action,' writes Mollie Randall, an Essex resident who started the campaign.
Comments by those who signed the petition make it clear why they believe the doctor should not be fit for practice. 'My daughter is due to have a major gynaecological operation at Southend hospital and no way wants this man involved,' wrote one signee.
Another wrote: 'I’m pretty damn sure that had he removed a man’s testicles without consent, he would’ve been struck off and facing a criminal investigation, not a slap on the wrist and offered a job somewhere else. The Tribunal’s misogyny is clearly showing. Absolutely abhorrent behaviour from all involved.'
Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and author of books including Men Who Hate Women, also shared the news on Instagram, adding: 'When the violation of women’s bodies, autonomy and trust is considered less important than a man’s “unblemished career”.'
Read next:
You Might Also Like
