Alberta family doctor ordered to pay $70K for 'unprofessional conduct'

A family doctor in Cochrane, Alta., has been found guilty of unprofessional conduct by the province's medical regulator and ordered to pay $70,241 for the costs of the investigation into his behaviour and the hearing.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Albertafound that Dr. Habeeb Tunde Ali was guilty of three charges under the college's standards of practice and the Canadian Medical Association's code of ethics:

• Failure to pay his annual fees of $1,800 tothe college.
• Failure to comply with the rules of an agreement that let him return to his practice, after his licence was suspended for unbecoming conduct in 2008.
• Failure to accurately report his income post-bankruptcy.

Ali's licence was suspended in 2008 after he had a sexual relationship with a patient and fathered a child with her. He was allowed to return to his workas long as he agreed to meet regularly with a psychiatrist.

But the hearing found that Ali said that no dates for appointments were ever convenient, and he never suggested alternative dates.

It also said that he self-reported his income to his bankruptcy trusteeas $15,000 per month, despite receiving an average gross monthly income of $26,624 per month from Alberta Health Care.

The hearing was toldbythe lawyer representing the complaints director of the college that there were no issues related to Ali's patient care, but that the charges against himwerestill in the public interest because of the importance of integrity and trust in the medical profession.

The college's role is to hold doctorsto ethical and medical practice standards and investigate complaints against them.

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