N.L. radiologist suspended

A Gander radiologist was suspended by the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Authority, it was revealed Wednesday.

Dr. John Ozoh was suspended last Friday. The health authority told a news conference he was suspended  after it began reviewing Ozoh's work in June.

Of the 2,500 reports that Ozoh prepared since June, 500 required what the authority called "edits."

Of those reports, 120 are "potentially clinically significant," the health authority said.

Central Health officials said they don't know if Ozoh's work harmed any patients. It is contacting the doctors who referred patients to him.

An information line has been set up for patients who've had diagnostic imaging procedures performed in Gander between June 28 and Sept. 17.

Ozoh has told  to the health authority that he will appeal his suspension.

Ozoh was suspended once before three years ago. The health authority announced his first suspension on June 1, 2007. Ozoh was reinstated in late July 2007 and has been working in Gander since.

The group that represents doctors in the province said in July 2007 that the authority erred by speaking publicly about a suspended radiologist before its internal investigation was complete.

Joe Tumilty, the president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association at the time, said the radiologist's privileges were pulled too quickly.

"There's no question that someone's reputation is going to be damaged if something like this is brought out in public," Tumilty said. "Now we have to sort of undo some of that and see if we get things back on track so that the process is in place so that this doesn't happen again in that fashion."

Central Health said in July 2007 that Ozoh, who was not named at the time, was cleared after a review of about 500 records.

The authority said Ozoh would be compensated for the two-month period of the review.

Central Health disclosed the first suspension shortly after another authority — Eastern Health — announced a suspension of a radiologist practising on the Burin Peninsula. Dr. Fred Kasiyre resigned and left the province after a review of his work found he had made serious errors.