A B.C. MLA says he raised concerns about a Powell River radiologist years ago – long before an investigation was launched into credentialing issues that could have resulted in a half-dozen undiagnosed cancer cases.
Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons says he approached the health minister in 2008 about an apparent patient misdiagnosis only to be referred to the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Simons says the college launched an investigation and found problems – but the response "obviously didn't protect the public."
"The college took what actions it had jurisdiction to do," he added. "What's at issue here is: are the credentialing and recognition processes here accurate and effective?"
Simons wouldn't confirm the name of the doctor, but Dr. Mansukhlal Mavji Parmar has been the only radiologist at the hospital since 2002.
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CTV News could not reach Parmar Sunday over the phone or at his ocean view home on Vancouver Island. Authorities say he's no longer practicing in B.C. as of last week.
Health officials are notifying 3,400 people who had CT scans and ultrasounds analyzed by Parmar and one other radiologist who operated in the Fraser Valley last year – but say patient care was not compromised in the majority of cases.
Roughly 140 require further investigation, however, and the Ministry of Health has launched a two-part probe into what went wrong.
The first part begins immediately with a 30-day probe to ensure all working radiologists in the province have proper credentials.
The second will analyze the credentialing process and the health authorities' response to the issue. The results of both probes will be made public within six months.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Bhinder Sajan
