Suspended Medicine Hat doctor to return to work

A southern Alberta doctor suspended by the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons for inappropriate communication with a person thought to be a minor is set to return to work next month.

A summary of a formal April 12 disciplinary hearing involving Saurabh Gupta, a Medicine Hat emergency room doctor and family practitioner, states that during his off hours, the physician contacted a person he believed to be a 15-year-old female through the dating website Plenty of Fish.

“Posing as a surgical resident, Dr. Gupta invited her, alone, to the hotel where he was staying. When he arrived at the arranged meeting place, he was instead confronted by several members of Creep Catchers, a local vigilante group,” the summary on the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons website states.

“The group subsequently posted Dr. Gupta’s text messages and video of the encounter online, with Dr. Gupta identified by staff at the hospital in Medicine Hat.”

The college said the doctor reported the August 2016 incident to them. Medicine Hat police investigated but did not press criminal charges.

According to the college, Gupta admitted to unprofessional conduct for inappropriately communicating by electronic means with a person he believed was a 15-yearold female. The communication included a request that she come to his hotel alone, “a request to wear something pretty” and an invitation to bring her bathing suit for a swim in the hotel pool.

The hearing tribunal handed Gupta a 12-month active suspension. The college said the doctor did not practise medicine from Aug. 29, 2016 to May 1, 2017 and that he was also withdrawn from practice from April until August this year.

He has been ordered to enter into a continuing care agreement for at least five years with the college’s physician health monitoring program, to have a mandatory chaperone for all encounters involving females under the age of 18, and to cover the costs of the investigation and hearing, totalling more than $17,000.

The college said the doctor underwent a fitness-to-work assessment before the hearing, which identified a low probability of re-offence. In an email it said Gupta will not return to his previous emergency room practice in Medicine Hat.

The disciplinary decision was made before The Council of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta recently adopted a new statement of principles on sexual misconduct by physicians.