Brandon Harder
Regina Leader-Post
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) has revoked the medical licence of Dr. Mehdi Horri.
“He can no longer practise medicine in Saskatchewan,” read an emailed statement from CPSS provided to the Leader-Post Monday.
Horri, who practiced medicine in Estevan, was found guilty of nine charges of unprofessional conduct in June. These were not criminal charges, but charges of a professional nature brought by the CPSS, which regulates the practice of medicine in the province.
A penalty hearing was held Friday, which resulted in Horri’s licence being revoked.
“After reviewing all of the information, Council determined that Dr. Horri’s licence would be revoked, effective immediately,” the statement reads.
One of the nine charges on which he was found guilty related to not obtaining informed consent for a surgery to remove a lesion or a lump from a patient’s armpit.
Three charges related to a failure to comply with an undertaking that stated Horri was not to have any in-person professional encounters with female patients except in the presence of a female chaperone.
With regard to these, the decision of the CPSS disciplinary hearing committee notes there was “no evidence presented that Dr. Horri acted improperly during those encounters.”
Three more charges related to the alteration of electronic medical records pertaining to certain patients after Horri became aware the CPSS was investigating his conduct with regard to those patients.
“Dr. Horri’s failure to be forthcoming and transparent with the College about the alterations to the [electronic medical records] was misleading and could have easily undermined the College’s investigation had it not made further inquiries into the audit trail,” the CPSS decision states.
Another charge related to a failure to keep appropriate medical records.
Finally, one charge stated that Horri “harassed and/or encouraged a potential witness” in the investigation into his conduct “to provide false information.”
The decision states he had told the person: “Yes this is not the time to think about integrity.”
The decision also states “any reasonable interpretation” of this statement would see it to be encouraging the person to provide false information “about his practice with respect to chaperones in his office.”
Horri has faced multiple sanctions from the CPSS in the past, including a nine-month revocation of his licence relating to an incident in which he engaged in a sexual relationship with a former patient.
According to the CPSS statement on Horri’s current licence revocation, reasons for the decision will be published following the next CPSS council meeting in late November.
