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CBC
15-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Fredericton psychiatrist risks losing licence after not contesting misconduct allegations
Social Sharing A Fredericton psychiatrist could permanently lose his medical licence after choosing not to contest allegations of sexual misconduct at a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday morning. Dr. Manoj Bhargava was presented with sanctions by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick for several long-standing complaints. Bhargava worked at the University of New Brunswick student health centre, and was suspended by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick in November 2020 after several complaints of inappropriate touching were filed. At his disciplinary hearing, the college's lawyer, Joël Michaud, described the allegations against Bhargava. They were based on complaints made by 20 individuals, whose identities are protected by a publication ban. The statement said Bhargava committed unprofessional misconduct taking heart rate and blood pressure measurements that were "inconsistent with the standards of the profession" outlined by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. It said Bhargava also made comments, asked questions and made requests that were not consistent with the standards of the profession. According to the statement, Bhargava "treated all complainants in a manner that could reasonably be perceived by members as being disgraceful, dishonorable and unprofessional." None of the allegations have been proven in court. The lawyers for the college and Bhargava jointly recommended sanctions to revoke his licence and remove his name from the register. Fredericton psychiatrist doesn't fight sexual misconduct allegations 32 minutes ago It said Bhargava should never seek another licence in New Brunswick, and that he pay $5,000 to cover legal fees. Bhargava joined the meeting with his lawyer Sacha Morisset, who said he had no questions to add to the uncontested evidence or the sanctions. Bhargava did not speak at the hearing. The board of inquiry, composed of three doctors, will go through the submission and will make a written decision in the "very near future." Four civil lawsuits filed against Bhargava Meanwhile, Barghava's legal issues continue to play out in the court with the filing of new lawsuits. Monday afternoon, lawyer Basia Sowinski from the firm Valent Legal, filed four individual lawsuits, listing the University of New Brunswick and Bhargava as defendants in all four cases. She said the timing was coincidental with the disciplinary hearing. In April 2023, lawyers from the same firm discontinued a class-action lawsuit. It alleged that UNB didn't take appropriate steps to ensure the plaintiffs were not subjected to such acts, and that UNB was vicariously liable for the sexual assaults allegedly perpetrated by Bhargava. At the time, the firm said it would file a mass-tort lawsuit, which would allow plaintiffs to include those varying claims about where Bhargava allegedly assaulted them. The firm has now decided to pivot to individual lawsuits. Sowinski said the mass-tort lawsuit wasn't ideal for plaintiffs. "It's not really necessary to litigate it as a mass tort, but rather we just filed a separate lawsuit for them," she said. CBC is not naming the plaintiffs in the lawsuits because their cases involve allegations of sexual assault. In a draft of the one of the lawsuits provided by Sowinski, the allegations against Bhargava include medical negligence and sexual assault. "The Plaintiff alleges the Defendant Bhargava requested she wear loose clothing, or remove articles of clothing, so that her heart rate and/or blood pressure could be obtained." The lawsuit is also against UNB and alleges negligence and vicarious liability. Sowinski said the legal process has been "a pretty long road" for the plaintiffs. "I'm happy to help represent them and support them on the civil side of things to get a sense of justice for them."
CBC
15-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Fredericton psychiatrist doesn't fight sexual misconduct allegations
Dr. Manoj Bhargava could lose his medical licence permanently after a disciplinary hearing looks into allegations of sexual misconduct.
RNZ News
16-06-2025
- RNZ News
Paramedic loses medical registration after strangling partner, biting nose
By Jeremy Wilkinson, Open Justice reporter of The offender was previously given home detention for the abuse. Photo: Supplied/123/RF WARNING: This article discusses domestic violence. "I'm gonna see you burn at the stake", a paramedic told his partner, before biting her nose, pulling her hair and strangling her. The man, who has name suppression and was previously given home detention for the abuse, has now been stripped of his medical licence for at least two years. According to the police summary of facts, the man grabbed his now ex-partner by the arm in July 2021, twisted it behind her back and shoved her against a fridge, denting it. During another incident in 2022, he told her he would "burn her at the stake", before pulling her by the hair, trying to kick her in the head, and placing his hands around her neck and strangling her. While the man was strangling the woman, he bit into her nose, causing bleeding and bruising around her eyes, while their young child watched, pleading for him to stop. The man then picked up his child, placed her in his car and drove roughly two metres, before getting out and going back to the woman. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her to the ground. Neighbours overheard the yelling and called the police, who turned up shortly before 10pm and pushed the man onto a couch in his lounge. The man reacted by unzipping the constable's vest and attempted to get hold of their Taser, before eventually being restrained with help from members of the public. In 2023, the man also psychologically abused the woman over the phone, while there was a protection order in place against him. After pleading guilty, he was given 11 months' home detention by a District Court judge for seven offences relating to the 2022 incident, as well as concurrent terms of three months' home detention for a further five offences. In sentencing, the judge said, "What happened here was extraordinarily dangerous" and said that it was a "prolonged instance of family violence", which involved "serious acts of coercive control to dominate the victim". Following his convictions, a Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) of the Paramedic Council filed charges of professional misconduct against the man at the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, claiming he was no longer fit to work as a paramedic. The PCC said that the man's convictions showed a serious loss of self-control in response to a situation that had made him angry and his conduct did not reflect the high standards expected of a paramedic. "It is relevant that paramedics may attend to victims of family violence and that they may often do so in the victim's own home. "This practice environment requires a high degree of trust, particularly where patients will often have little to no say in who attends them," their submissions read. The PCC also noted that paramedics were required to work closely with other first responders, including police, and that resisting arrest from a constable was particularly concerning. The practitioner provided the tribunal with some context for his offending, claiming his partner was using methamphetamine against his wishes, which frustrated him. He said his former partner had sought to minimise her role in the conflict, was pushing an incorrect narrative and had played the victim at every opportunity. "[The ex-partner] stating that I am violent and controlling is an excellent scapegoat position for her behaviour, however not truthful or representative of the situation," he told the PCC. "My explanation for assaulting my partner is that I was trapped in an abusive and controlling relationship with her, culminating in a predictable explosion of violence, as the police, councilors [sic], colleagues, friends and families all avoided the obvious." The man said he questioned the woman's evidence about the incident where he strangled her. "You know, she told police, 'He grabbed me around the neck with two hands and I thought like I was going to die'," he told the PCC in an interview. "On the video recording, the evidence recording, she's screaming the whole time, "You can't scream and die at the same time." The man also made a complaint to the Independent Police Conduct Authority about his arrest and the refusal of police officers to take his concerns about his partner seriously. The man said, if he were working on an ambulance with another paramedic, there would be no reason why a patient wouldn't be able to trust him. Since the offending, he's engaged in non-violence programmes and therapy, as well as entering into a new relationship. The tribunal held a hearing into the man's conduct late last year and, in a recently-released ruling, said it was satisfied that the reputation of paramedicine was lowered as a result of his actions. In its ruling, the tribunal said the man sought to justify his actions and minimise his conduct. "During his evidence before the tribunal, there was little evidence of remorse," the tribunal said. "He repeatedly said that [his ex partner] was playing the victim." Despite this, the tribunal said potential patients of health practitioners who had engaged in family violence were not necessarily in danger from them. However, the tribunal noted that the work of a paramedic involved teamwork and high levels of trust between colleagues, and between police and the fire service at callouts, including ones involving domestic violence. "The lack of respect [the man] showed the police raises serious questions for the tribunal about his ability to work alongside the police in challenging situations. "[He] should not underestimate the levels of discomfort many women feel when in the presence of someone with a history such as his. This applies to his colleagues and health consumers." The tribunal opted to cancel his registration with the Paramedics Council and forbid him from re-registering for at least two years, and ordered him to pay costs of $26,000. However, this cancellation did not prevent the man from working as an Emergency Medical Technician, the tribunal conceded, noting that the role was similar to that of a paramedic, but didn't require registration. EMTs often assist paramedics, who have more advanced training and can take on more complex medical care. The man declined to comment to NZME. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
