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A Cape Town surgeon has been cut from his private hospital practice following explosive allegations of inappropriate conduct with a patient and a troubling history of harassing female staff.
Dr Ignatius Botha, a general surgeon specialising in laparoscopic procedures, has been suspended from Mediclinic Panorama Hospital after a formal complaint was lodged against him with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
News24 has learned that the accusations stem from a pelvic examination he performed – without surgical gloves – on a young woman who had originally sought treatment for an abscess under her arm.
HPCSA spokesperson Priscilla Sekhonyana confirmed receipt of the complaint.
“The matter was investigated and considered in terms of the regulations. [It] has not yet been finalised and is still receiving the attention of the HPCSA,” she stated.
Sources revealed that Botha’s theatre list was abruptly cancelled earlier this month. When News24 visited the hospital on Thursday, his consulting rooms were shuttered, though his name remained on the signage.
Botha, who earned his medical degree from the University of Pretoria in 1978 and a Master of Medicine from Stellenbosch University in 1991, has long touted his expertise in laparoscopic surgery – a field involving minimally invasive abdominal and pelvic procedures.
A former consultant in surgical and gastroenterology departments at Stellenbosch University, Botha has also trained numerous surgeons in advanced laparoscopic techniques.
Confronted with the allegations, Botha claimed he had only learned about the patient’s complaint “by the press.” His attorney, Nicola Caine, insisted he had not yet received a formal notice.
“This matter is likely to become sub judice and in the circumstances, it is not appropriate for him to comment on the allegations in the complaint, other than to state that he denies having acted unprofessionally in any way whatsoever,” she said on his behalf.
But this isn’t the only dark cloud hanging over Botha.
Reliable sources told News24 that multiple complaints- spanning decades – have been filed against him for allegedly harassing female colleagues.
One former colleague described a workplace where Botha’s inappropriate “touching” and lewd remarks were an open secret, yet complaints were consistently “squashed” to avoid “ructions.”
“Personally, when I saw him, I would hide so as not to be in the same space as him. Colleagues would avoid taking the same lift as him, quickly slip by him on the stairs, and make excuses when bumping into him in the hallway,” she said.
“I once faked a long phone call when I saw him in the parking lot just to avoid having to walk with him.”
She alleged that complaints against him “simply went nowhere,” leading her to escalate the matter to the HPCSA in recent years, arguing that he was abusing his position of power. But she never received a response.
On Botha’s behalf, Caine acknowledged that her client was aware of complaints from two women at Mediclinic Panorama Hospital who “perceived” his behaviour as inappropriate.
He denied any “intentional wrongdoing.”
“These complaints were only brought to his attention several months after they are alleged to have occurred. This, coupled with the fact that the complainants remain unidentified, has made it almost impossible for him to respond to these complaints in a way which puts his perceived inappropriate conduct in its proper perspective,” Caine stated.
“He is, nevertheless, complying with the investigation process initiated by Mediclinic as best he can, given these limitations.”
Mediclinic Southern Africa spokesperson Nokuzola Plaatjie confirmed Botha had been suspended and that the hospital took the allegations seriously.
“Mediclinic’s workplace behaviour policy does not tolerate misconduct of any kind. An internal investigation is still under way, and upon completion, appropriate action will be taken in accordance with our policies and values,” she said.
Doctors operate independently at Mediclinic, Plaatjie noted, but the hospital remains committed to “ensuring our employees and patients receive the best possible care within a safe environment.”
[Source: News24]
