A patient has exposed a doctor’s sickening act during a visit for treatment at a doctor’s office on the New South Wales Central Coast.
Dr Hazem Toma, also known as Hazem Keryakous, was found guilty of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal on June 13.
The Egyptian-born GP had been working at Kanwal Wadalba Family Practice when he met the 35-year-old woman for a routine appointment for a new mental health plan on November 8, 2021.
At the end of the appointment, she asked if Dr. Toma was feeling okay after noticing that he seemed “unwell” and irritated by his surgical mask.
In her version of events, Dr. Toma told him: ‘No. I need professional help like you,’ before walking towards her and hugging her.
Dr Hazem Toma (pictured) was found guilty of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal on June 13.
The woman said they covered her eyes with the mask so she couldn’t see. She broke away from the hug and fixed her mask.
Then Dr. Toma hugged her again and lowered her mask to under her chin.
‘He immediately came over to kiss me. I moved my face to the right and he kissed me twice on the left cheek, once near the mouth and once near the ear. “I froze and didn’t say anything,” the woman said in her statement.
“I patted Dr. Toma on the back and we said words like, ‘I hope you feel better soon.'” Dr. Toma said, “Thank you, it’s nice to see you again, Susan.”
‘I have no idea why Susan called me. We had reviewed my mental health plan which included my own name. Then I stopped practicing.’
The woman, referred to by the court as Patient A, contacted the office later that day to report what had happened and told them that “someone needed to see Dr. Toma because she was not feeling well.”
She reported the incident to the police 10 days later, on November 28, who forwarded the complaint to the Healthcare Complaints Commission (HCCC).
In early December, the woman called the office again and the manager told her someone would investigate the incident.
In the following months, the woman said she began to experience deep self-hatred and had problems with physical contact.
Dr Toma, an Egyptian-born GP, had been working full-time at Kanwal Wadalba Family Practice on the NSW Central Coast when he treated the woman (clinic is pictured).
A few days after the appointment, the woman said she had a “mental blank” while driving and nearly collided with another car after hitting the guardrail.
His relationship with his daughter became strained because she struggled with physical contact and became depressed.
The woman said she was too terrified to go to the doctor and had a breakdown while at the dentist because they were “in my face.”
After being contacted by HCCC in May 2022, Dr. Toma said he did not initiate hugs or kisses with the woman.
‘(She) acted spontaneously and as an instinctive reaction I accepted the hug and the kiss. I’m sorry if that was misinterpreted and I shouldn’t have done it. It was a natural reaction to be supportive,” she said in her response.
“There was no sexual or romantic intention.”
During cross-examination at a hearing in February, the woman denied that the hug in question was brief and initiated by her, and insisted that Dr. Toma kiss her twice and remove her mask to do so.
The panel noted that both versions of events suggested that a physical boundary was crossed during a time of high risk of Covid infection, when doctors were advised to minimize contact with patients as much as possible.
On June 13, the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Dr Toma guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct (for failing to maintain adequate records during appointment) and professional misconduct.
The court is set to determine protective orders after another hearing.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dr Toma for comment.
