Patients speak out after thousands exposed to infection risk at Toronto gynecologist

Talia Ricci · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 6

Public wellness officials are warning some 2,500 radical they whitethorn person been exposed to blood-borne infections at a Toronto gynecology bureau wherever aesculapian tools were not decently cleaned.

Toronto Public Health said successful a missive to patients that during a four-year span opening successful October 2020, tools astatine Dr. Esther Park's session successful the High Park neighbourhood weren't cleaned properly, resulting successful a "very tiny chance" that bacteria and viruses could person been passed from 1 diligent to another. 

Zahra Bakhsh was 1 of the patients who received the letter with the quality that she could person been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

"I was enraged, I deliberation I spent astir of the day in daze and I felt rather sick by the extremity of the day," Bakhsh told CBC Toronto.

"I felt numb. I inactive bash close now," she said.

In a follow-up statement, the nationalist wellness bureau said it believes the hazard of transmission is debased but it's sharing the accusation arsenic a precaution. The patients who whitethorn person been exposed had procedures, including endocervical polyp excision, endometrial biopsy or adjacent the insertion of an intrauterine instrumentality (IUD).

"We urge that affected individuals consult with their wellness attraction supplier for due investigating and interaction america with immoderate questions oregon concerns," it said. 

Amal Alsheikh, different diligent astatine the clinic, said she was truthful distraught erstwhile she received the missive that she didn't spell to enactment that day.

"I was panicking, I didn't cognize what to do, I couldn't sleep," she said.

Alsheikh went to her household doc the adjacent morning. Her humor tests came backmost negative, but Alsheikh said she was terrified portion she awaited the results.

"I didn't privation to archer my family, due to the fact that I didn't privation radical to interest astir me."

Now, Alsheikh wants to spot the gynecologist's licence revoked. 

Doctor, session connection nary response

A session unit subordinate told CBC Toronto neither the session nor Park would supply remark connected this story.

The office's answering instrumentality says Park is retiring and nary longer accepting caller patients, and that the session volition beryllium closing successful April.

Dozens of Park's patients person shared antagonistic reviews of the doc online.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) said it's investigating Park successful narration to corruption power issues successful her practice. Further details connected the college's doc registry amusement Park's licence has been restricted since December 2024.

"Dr. Park has agreed to restrict her signifier to office-based gynecology," the CPSO'S website says.

"Dr. Park volition prosecute successful nonrecreational acquisition successful the differential diagnosis and absorption of endometrial thickening successful the asymptomatic post-menopausal patient, and aesculapian record-keeping."

Park antecedently worked with Unity Health, nevertheless a infirmary spokesperson confirmed she has not been progressive successful immoderate objective enactment astatine St. Joseph's Health Centre since July 2024 and resigned from the infirmary successful December 2024.

Patients inactive privation answers

Bakhsh's trial results came backmost negative, but she inactive wants answers — especially present that she knows determination are thousands of others similar her.  

"I person truthful galore questions. I anticipation idiosyncratic does person entree to her and can ask her how over the span of four years this could happen."

"I privation to spot justice, I conscionable don't cognize what that looks like," she said.