Patients frustrated as Toronto Public Health receives many calls related to local gynecologist
CBC
Toronto Public Health is sharing more details about the investigation into a Toronto gynecologist office linked to potential infections due to improper cleaning. It's now also saying patients of Dr. Esther Park who didn't receive a letter from the health agency can get tested if they're concerned.
Amanda Malek says she didn't receive a letter, but was a patient of Dr. Park in 2023 and had a lot of questions for Toronto Public Health when she heard about the investigation.
"I called multiple times, I told them I got a pap smear, should I be worried, should I be concerned? They initially told me no," Malek said.
The letter sent to around 2,500 patients stated anyone who had procedures at the clinic in High Park, including endocervical polyp excision, endometrial biopsy or even the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) between Oct. 10, 2020 and Oct. 10, 2024 should be tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
TPH says it did not send letters to patients of Dr. Park's who did not have one of these procedures during the time period.
The City of Toronto's Infection Prevention & Control (IPAC) Investigations website's latest update states patients who also got pap tests or any of the listed procedures prior to 2020 can also speak to their health-care provider about testing.
"There was a bit of peace of mind for me before I saw that online because I thought I wasn't impacted," Malek said.
"But when I saw the update I thought 'We've been left in the dark. If we didn't do digging ourselves we never would have known.'"
CBC Toronto has also heard from patients who did receive one of the three procedures listed within the designated time frame but did not receive a letter. Toronto Public Health says it encourages those patients to contact them.
It also says the list of affected patients was provided by Dr. Park's office.
Toronto Public Health has declined interviews with CBC News but said in a statement Monday:
"The IPAC page is updated from time to time, particularly when there is significant public interest and higher call volumes to TPH regarding an investigation. Other patients from this practice can consider how they wish to proceed with any follow-up including testing in consultation with their health care provider. In general, TPH encourages testing because treatments are available."
Dr. Herveen Sachdeva, the city's associate medical officer of health, told The Canadian Press that medical instruments such as speculums were not disassembled before they were cleaned at the clinic.
Sachdeva characterized this as an "important step" to ensure all surfaces are disinfected. She also said there was "significant overdiluting" of the disinfecting solution that the instruments were soaked in.
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