Community News

WOMAN WOULD LIKELY 'BE ALIVE TODAY'

SARAH BISSONETTE sbissonette@metroland nor thmedia.com

A woman "would likely have sought out treatment for cancer and would be alive today" but for a local doctor's "failure to meet the standard of care expected" from a person in his field in "similar circumstances," the Parry Sound Superior Court found in a recent ruling.

The woman, 45, died in November 2016 from cancer that the court found should have been diagnosed following a 2011 surgery.

Justice Susan Stothart handed down her decision in a civil suit against Parry Sound pathologist Olayiwola Kassim on April 22, in favour of the woman's estate, partner and dependents.

The North Star reached out to Dr. Kassim at his

West Parry Sound Health Centre extension and through his lawyer. Lawyer Erica Baron declined to comment on her and Dr. Kassim's behalf.

In 2015, the woman had another surgery with samples sent to Dr. Kassim who looked further and discovered "he was the pathologist who examined (the woman's 2011) samples at that time. When he realized this, he ordered the pathology slides from the basement of the hospital and reexamined them." In review of the 2011 sample, Dr. Kassim discovered cancer, a finding upheld on review by three other pathologists.

The woman started chemotherapy, but with the cancer spreading she "opted for improved quality of life for the little time she had left," the court's decision reads.

Dr. Kassim's defence argued to the court "that a physician is not held to a standard of perfection and an honest and intelligent exercise of judgment satisfies the standard of care. An error in judgment, alone, does not amount to negligence," the decision set out.

The lawyers representing the widower, the woman's estate and dependents argued that Dr. Kassim, "was negligent" in not diagnosing the woman's cancer in 2011 and that, if it had been caught, she "would likely have sought out treatment for cancer and would be alive today," the decision read.

The court awarded the woman's estate, her widower and dependents $1,388,183, plus $5,327 in funeral costs and interest from 2015. As well, OHIP was also awarded $46,232 paid out for the woman's palliative care.

NEWS

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281552294466503

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