Hamilton’s ‘fetish’ doctor loses practising certificate
A Hamilton gynaecologist disciplined for blurring boundaries and filming sexual activity at his clinic can no longer practise.
Dr Nalendra Appanna, who also went by Naylin Appanna, tried through court to overturn a decision not to renew his annual practising certificate.
The appeal was dismissed by Judge K D Kelly.
Appanna came under the spotlight in 2017, when he was running a private practice called Women’s Health Centre in Hamilton’s Tristram St and revealed he moonlighted as an R18 events organiser, hosting Fetish Ball and Risque Events.
What got his registration suspended for three months, however, was “inappropriate” blurring of boundaries between his personal and professional life - including STI testing a woman he met on a “sugar daddy” website in his clinic - starting in May 2019.
He was ordered to pay almost $75,000 in costs following a three-day tribunal hearing in December 2022.
Another similar complaint about him is being investigated, court documents say.
Appanna has been practising as a registered obstetrician and gynaecologist since 1996, and applied for a new practising certificate in April 2023.
It was declined in August, with the Medical Council NZ saying he “did not meet the required standard of competence”.
Appanna appealed that decision at Wellington District Court, stating the community was “being wrongly deprived of an able doctor” amidst a healthcare crisis.
Not being able to practice had affected his and his family’s welling and put him into financial hardship, his lawyer said.
The Medical Council’s issues with Appanna’s application were detailed in a report provided to the court: complaints from two women and “a lengthy history of concerns”, including prescribing to a practice nurse after a warning about providing care to people close to him.
One of the woman who complained about Appanna had met him on a “sugar daddy” website at age 26. She said he STI tested her in his clinic before filming her giving consent and the sexual activity that followed.
On another occasion he sent the woman, referred to as Ms J, a photo of an unconscious female patient just after her baby was delivered.
He also talked about making a referral for Ms J in the same text message where he refused to delete videos of their sexual activity, the decision said.
Once he gave her painkillers from his clinic’s medicine cabinet because she was in too much pain to engage in sexual activity - but argued he just wanted to help.
Ms J said he handed her a tablet, and made a joke about how it could be a daterape drug.
He was also found to have disclosed Ms J’s personal and health information to a reporter.
The Medical Council can impose conditions on a doctor, but said it couldn’t think of any conditions that would ensure Appanna maintained his professionalism and assured the safety of his patients.
Appanna’s counsel, AH Waalkens, argued that conduct referred to behaviour and it had little bearing on his “competence as a medical practitioner”.
The gynaecologist accepted that providing treatment to Ms J was against the rules, but said there was no “blurring of boundaries” in the last three years.
Judge K D Kelly dismissed Appanna’s appeal.
There was a “lengthy history of concerns”, many of which might be considered minor, but the fact they kept happening cast doubt on his judgement and professionalism, the judge said.
“I am in no doubt that an objectively reasonable person would consider these actions on the part of an obstetrician and gynaecologist to be unprofessional and significant failures of judgement, and therefore a breach of standards of competence”.
“I am not satisfied that Dr Appanna fully appreciates why his actions are unprofessional, especially in his area of practice.”