Shock waves swept through Powell River last week, but they weren’t caused by an earthquake. The revelation that the Powell River General Hospital’s radiologist was not authorized to read CT scans or obstetrical ultrasounds hit the entire community like an seismic event. Aftershocks continue to reverberate as the gravity of the situation sinks in.
The community has learned some facts, but questions abound. Dr. Mansukhlal Mavji Parmar, known as Charlie, had a voluntary restriction on his licence to practice in British Columbia. That means he had volunteered to the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons that he would not be reading CT scans. Yet he read close to 900 scans from April to October last year.
Parmar was also not authorized to read obstetrical ultrasounds, yet he had read nearly 2,300 since he was hired in 2002.
Of the 900 patients involved in the CT scans, about 130 were identified for further discussion between them and their family physician. In 27 of those cases, the physicians had no concern of the subsequent effect on the patient. In three cases, further action needed to be taken.
Health officials say they didn’t inform the public in October, when they learned of the situation, because they didn’t want to create panic. Officials sent all the scans to a qualified radiologist for new interpretations. Then the new and old interpretations were adjudicated by an independent group of physicians. It was only after that process that Vancouver Coastal Health informed the ministry of health services and the public.
CT scans continue to be performed at Powell River’s hospital, but they are being transmitted to Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver for reading. Patients who need ultrasounds have to travel out of the community.
The facts lead to more questions, which will be answered, the community is told, after an investigation by the chair of the BC Patient Safety and Quality Council, Dr. Doug Cochrane.
While the issue has shaken the confidence of the entire community, it’s particularly hard on patients and their families, who have an added layer of stress and anxiety to deal with in addition to illness. The revelation adds to the grief of families who have lost loved ones. Many of them must be wondering if lives could have been saved, painful questions that should never have to be asked.
Somewhere, somehow, the medical system the community relies on went awry. Controls broke down and due diligence disappeared. But the community will have to wait for the results of the investigation to know for certain where the accountability lies.
The fact that the community pulled together to raise funds for the CAT scanner in the hospital makes the issue that much more hurtful. Powell River residents made the purchase of this vital piece of equipment happen, by reaching deep into their wallets to contribute. Many volunteers worked endless hours driving the campaign to a successful end. The community rightfully felt proud of its achievement, believed that lives would be saved and the quality of health care would improve.
Sadly, triumph has turned into heartbreak. It’s hard to believe that a situation like this could even happen. Now the province needs to find out how it happened so it never happens again, ever, anywhere.
