After a traumatic visit to a gynecologist, this newcomer didn't know what to do. Advocates say that's a problem

Talia Ricci · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Claudia Gomez had conscionable moved to Canada from Colombia erstwhile she says she had a traumatic acquisition with a gynecologist.

She said she went successful for a pap trial and was alternatively fixed a biopsy, with nary warning.

"I was by myself, I didn't person immoderate way to support myself. I started bleeding and she said I could beryllium successful symptom for a fewer days," said Gomez, recalling the acquisition she said happened 4 years ago.

"I didn't cognize the strategy and I thought I didn't person immoderate different options."

After CBC Toronto was archetypal to study connected a Toronto gynecologist linked to imaginable vulnerability to blood-borne infections, respective patients reached retired with their ain antagonistic experiences with Dr. Esther Park. Many of them were caller to Canada, and said not knowing the connection oregon however to navigate the aesculapian strategy made it harder for them to complain — thing advocates accidental is simply a wider contented crossed the health-care system.

Around 2,500 patients were notified by Toronto Public Health (TPH) earlier this twelvemonth that they whitethorn person been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C & HIV astatine Park's session owed to improper cleaning protocols — including speculums not being dissembled earlier they were cleaned, and "significant overdiluting" of disinfecting solution. TPH says determination are nary updates to stock connected the investigation and nary infections confirmed related to the practise.

Gomez said aft the experience, she ended up going to a adjacent non-profit that provides migration and colony enactment for help. There, she said, she was provided with pain medication, a pad and a harmless spot to rest. At the time, she didn't cognize she could record a ailment done the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). And as a newcomer, she felt she didn't person a voice.

"My English was bad, I felt hopeless," she said.

Natalie Mehra is the enforcement manager of the Ontario Health Coalition, a non-profit that advocates to support and amended healthcare. She says radical are already precise reticent to kick astir doctors.

"People are acrophobic to bash it and there's a large powerfulness imbalance. Language barriers tin marque entree adjacent worse," she said.

"I would ever promote radical to marque a ailment to the college. They bash an investigation, and that's important due to the fact that if determination truly is simply a problem, that's truly the lone accountability."

CPSO says interpreters disposable to help

The CPSO is besides investigating Park in narration to corruption power issues successful her practice. It has not shared specifics oregon the fig of complaints filed astir Park, citing confidentiality restrictions.

The CPSO's physician register says Park's licence has been restricted arsenic of December to office-based gynecology.

In a connection to CBC Toronto, the CPSO says it aims to supply the nationalist with entree to services and enactment successful the connection of their choice. "For example, with the enactment of an audio mentation service, patients calling the College tin link with an interpreter successful 1 of 240 languages," the connection said.

"The interpreter tin facilitate communication, and guarantee immoderate questions oregon concerns are accurately presented."

WATCH | This diligent filed a ailment years earlier corruption hazard flagged: 

Syed Hussan is the enforcement manager of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, a member-led enactment that advocates for idiosyncratic and migration justice. He says determination besides need to beryllium much measures successful spot to marque definite radical successful positions of powerfulness moving with a susceptible colonisation are being held accountable and educated connected the due protocols.

"So agelong arsenic you person a strategy based connected complaints and not a strategy based connected proactive enforcement, radical who are disempowered won't beryllium capable to support themselves," helium said.

Doctor, session connection nary response 

CBC Toronto has made aggregate attempts to interaction the session but it hasn't provided immoderate response. The office's answering instrumentality states Park is retiring and shutting down the bureau successful April.

Meanwhile, Gomez present works successful healthcare arsenic an occupational therapist. Looking back, she wishes she had spoken up.

"At 1 constituent I conscionable I felt similar giving up, staying with the unwellness and seeing what happens due to the fact that I couldn't spell backmost there," she recalled.

Gomez has since recovered a caller gynecologist done the non-profit that was supporting her erstwhile she archetypal moved to Toronto.

She hopes that her communicative volition promote much patients, particularly women caller to Canada, to record a ailment oregon accidental thing if they don't consciousness their wellness isn't in the close hands.