A DOCTOR has been found guilty of leering at a picture of a patient’s breasts when he was supposed to be examining her feet.
Dr Balamurali Krishnan Loganathan (corr) carried out a “sexually motivated” examination of a woman in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in August 2010.
The orthopaedic doctor also placed her feet against his crotch between his legs, a General Medical Council (GMC) hearing was told.
He now faces being struck off from the register of doctors.
The woman, named only as Patient A, wrote a letter of complaint after she saw another doctor the next day.
“Sexually motivated”
She was initially uncertain the doctor had done anything “untoward” in the examination.
The GMC panel’s chair said they found the charges relating to a picture of the patient’s breasts and the “sexually motivated” nature of his actions “proved.”
Mr David Kyle said: “The Panel has heard evidence that the picture of Patient A’s breasts was in her notes as there was a possibility that she was to have a breast reduction in the future.
“Patient A gave evidence that towards the start of the consultation you were looking through her notes and came across a picture of her breasts, which then remained open on your desk until some point during your examination of her feet.
“She stated that she was uncomfortable with the picture of her breasts lying open and felt the need to explain to you that she was still ‘losing weight’.”
He continued: “She stated that you were always guiding each foot to your groin area during the lifting.”
The doctor also failed to prvide a chaperone for the woman, despite agreeing to do so for all female patients.
He also stroked her calves as he lowered her feet to the floor.
Caressing
Dr Loganathan carried out the examination with the patient’s chair pushed up against a wall, the panel chair said.
The GMC panel found his actions in relation to many of the charges were “sexually motivated.”
Mr Kyle continued: “The Panel has concluded, in the context of your examination that, these actions which she described as “caressing her” were both sexually motivated and inappropriate…
“The Panel has accepted that you lingered for some time over a picture of Patient A’s breasts in her patient notes.
“The Panel has concluded, taking the examination as a whole, that your looking at a picture of Patient A’s breasts, for which there was no clinical indication, and leaving it open on your desk, was sexually motivated.”
A further charge Dr Loganathan ran her legs against his crotch was found not proved, as was a charge he held her feet for “longer than required.”
Another charge he looked at a picture of the patient’s mole for longer than required was found proved
The same doctor was warned in 2008 “to refrain from any form of physical contact which his colleagues may find offensive.”
And according to the GMC, the doctor was only allowed to see female patients without a chaperone “in life threatening emergencies”.
Suspension
The conditions stated that the “chaperone must be a fully registered medical practitioner or fully registered nurse or midwife”.
Doctor Krishnan Loganathan must also tell the GMC if he is applying to any medical post outside of the UK, and any time he takes up a new medical post in the country.
The 2008 warning on inappropriate physical contact was also imposed by the GMC and must stay on the doctor’s record until May 29 next year.
Dr Krishnan Loganathan qualified as a doctor in Gulbarga, India.
A spokesman for Dundee University said: “He resigned from the university in June last year following a lengthy suspension while the NHS investigated claims against him.
The GMC panel discussing Dr Loganathan’s case ruled his fitness to practice as a doctor was impaired.
Panel chair Mr David Kyle said: “The Panel has no doubt that Dr Loganathan’s sexually motivated and inappropriate behaviour with Patient A was a clear and significant breach of the standards expected of him. It was serious misconduct sufficient to call his fitness to practise into question.”
Warning
He continued: “The Panel has determined that his behaviour betrayed the trust of Patient A and that his sexually motivated and inappropriate actions in his examination of Patient A both harmed his patient and brought the profession into disrepute.”
It was also revealed Dr Loganathan was given a warning by the GMC in 2008 over an incident where he was alone with a female nurse.
The doctor stroked her head and said “you have beautiful hair”, for which he was told to refrain from any form of physical contact his colleagues might find offensive.
Mr Kyle added: “His behaviour towards Patient A- a female with whom he was alone- occurred in circumstances very similar to those involving a female colleague which led to the formal warning.”
