‘Another universe of pain’: Patients allege neglectful care by Ontario doctor

It was Oct. 25, 2018, the morning of giving birth to her second child, and Marie-Louise Fitrion says it triggered the memory of being sexually assaulted as a child. 

Marie-Louise Fitrion says she was asleep in a hospital bed when she woke up to an obstetrician’s hand in her vagina.

It was Oct. 25, 2018, the morning of giving birth to her second child, and she says it triggered the memory of being sexually assaulted as a child.

Fitrion is sharing her experience dealing with that doctor, Esther Park, in the wake of Dr. Park’s resignation from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) on April 30, which came after her licence was restricted to office-based gynecology on Dec. 17, 2024.

The college investigated Park’s practice for “infection control issues” after Toronto Public Health found medical instruments were not properly cleaned, disinfected and sterilized at her clinic. Since then, former patients have come to The Canadian Press with allegations that include abusive and inappropriate treatment, both at her Toronto office on 20 Edna Ave., and at a west-end hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, commonly referred to as St. Joe’s.

The Canadian Press spoke to several patients who described traumatic experiences with Park while under her care during labour and invasive procedures including biopsies and contraception insertions.

At the time, none of the patients filed formal complaints. Like Fitrion, who says she was in “another universe of pain and suffering,” these patients said they were grappling with health issues including postpartum depression, cancer and post traumatic stress, and not in a frame of mind to launch a complaint process.

“I’ve always regretted not reporting it officially,” Fitrion said. After years of consideration, she recently did just that.

The patients believe regulatory bodies including the college and public health had not effectively monitored Park’s practice, given some patient concerns date back almost a decade. Patients also fault a system that places the onus on them to report and prove harm. Recently, some patients sent a letter to government officials calling for an independent review of regulatory bodies. While they said the province dismissed the suggestion, Toronto Public Health told The Canadian Press it would conduct an internal review.