Pediatrician suspended from practice

A St. Albert pediatrician charged with sexual interference and assault against someone under 16 must stop practising until criminal charges against him are resolved, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta said Tuesday.

Ramneek Kumar, who had worked as a doctor in St. Albert, did not voluntarily withdraw from practice after he was charged March 27. The college had allowed him to work under conditions that included a monitored chaperone.

But a news release from the CPSA said the authority decided to suspend Kumar Monday after thoroughly reviewing the case.

“While the charges have yet to be proven in a court of law, CPSA does not believe it’s appropriate for Dr. Kumar to practise medicine for the duration of the legal process,” the statement said.

The college has the power under the Health Professions Act to suspend the practice permit of a doctor facing criminal charges until the case is resolved.

“Our first priority is to protect the public,” CPSA registrar Dr. Scott McLeod said in the release.

The charges are tied to events alleged to have happened in the Waterton Park area in August 2015. Kumar faces one count of sexual assault and two counts of sexual contact with a child.