Winnipeg doctor loses licence over inappropriate texts to patient, falsified chaperoning records

A Manitoba doctor has lost his licence to practise medicine over "irresponsible and reprehensible" instances of misconduct, including sending inappropriate texts to a female patient and falsifying records about having a chaperone during appointments. 

In a decision dated June 2, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba suspended the licence of Dr. Shamoon Din, who had pleaded guilty to breaching conditions stemming from an earlier suspension.

He also pleaded guilty to falsifying records about having a chaperone in the presence of female patients, and practising beyond the boundaries of his certificate by seeing patients under the age of 18.

Din had been suspended for a year in 2018 for sending numerous inappropriate text messages to a teenage girl who was his patient, many of which contained profanity and sexualized images. She also overdosed on medication he prescribed.

As part of the conditions of returning to practice in 2019, Din agreed not to see female patients without a chaperone present.

In the latest decision, a college panel found that Din once again failed to maintain professional boundaries with a female patient, sending her inappropriate text messages late at night without a medical reason. The panel also found him unwilling or unable to abide by the college's standards.

The offences occurred between October 2020 and April 2021.

During that time, Din sent inappropriate messages to a female patient at least twice. In one message, Din sent a text at 1:36 a.m. and included a picture of himself, along with references to "partying."

Another message he sent to the patient read, "Hoping ur rockin it killin shahwtyyyyy".

He later told the college he believed he sent that text in response to an earlier communication with the patient about her "grueling work schedule" and "factors attributing to her overall health." The patient denied that the text referred to any previous communication with Din, the decision said.

The panel said while it could not conclude that text was "of a  sexual nature," it did find that the text messages breached the college's code of ethics.

After reviewing a random sample of patient charts, the panel also found dozens of instances in which signatures of chaperones were added to patient charts after the date of the visit, sometimes months later. 

"The actions by Dr. Din are irresponsible and reprehensible and are destructive for public trust in the medical profession," the college wrote in its decision.

"There would no doubt be a risk of harm to the public if Dr. Din was permitted to continue to practise."

CBC News has reached out to Din's lawyers for comment. 

Din has not practised medicine since April 2021.

The decision notes that he now lives with his wife and parents in Brampton, Ont. 

In addition to cancelling his licence, Din must pay a $40,000 fine over the next four years. If he is ever reinstated to practise medicine, he'd be required to pay another $20,000.