Dr. Suman Khulbe, a family physician of Indian origin licensed in Ontario, Canada, faces suspension after being found guilty of professional misconduct involving inappropriate relationships with patients.
The Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal (OPSDT) concluded on 22 August 2025 that Dr. Khulbe committed sexual abuse of one male patient and acted in a "disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional" manner with others. The tribunal determined she failed to uphold proper boundaries, treating patients as friends and social companions rather than individuals under her medical care.
Dr. Khulbe admitted to engaging in sexual acts with one patient, referred to as Patient A, including kissing, masturbation, and "erotic prostate massage," per tribunal documents. She also acknowledged conducting these acts after administering procaine and alcohol. She claimed that the particular patient was in a relationship, and it was consensual at the time.
Effective 23 August 2025 at 12:01 a.m., the tribunal imposed an interim suspension on Dr. Khulbe’s medical license due to the severity of the misconduct. A penalty hearing is scheduled for 24 November 2025, where a longer-term disposition of her license will be determined.
A public register maintained by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario confirms that Dr. Khulbe’s registration status changed to suspended on 23 August 2025. Her initial certification in family medicine dated back to 2001, following her medical degree from University of Ottawa in 1999.
Dr. Khulbe began practicing family medicine in 2001 and established her clinic in Kanata, Ontario. She earned board certification in aesthetic medicine from the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and curated a practice spanning regenerative therapies, peptide treatment, anti-aging medicine, and performance optimization.
Her tribunal proceedings noted her regular hosting of social events at her clinic where she provided unprofessional services.
Dr. Khulbe attributed some of her actions to influences from "traditional Indian household values," a claim that tribunal members reviewed in context but ultimately did not accept as mitigating.
The tribunal found that beyond Patient A, Dr. Khulbe engaged in inappropriate conduct with multiple patients, including administering substances and engaging in social behaviors inconsistent with professional medical standards.
In a Facebook post, she also alleged that a former employee attempted to blackmail accusing her of alcoholism and mistreatment of patients. She claimed investigators improperly raided her clinic in 2020 without a warrant, but toxicology tests of nail, hair, blood and urine later cleared her of drug abuse charges.
If the tribunal rules against mitigation during the November hearing, Dr. Khulbe could face long-term or permanent revocation of her license.
While some studies have explored procaine’s effects on the brain, these findings do not equate to a risk of addiction or lasting cognitive impairment. Procaine functions as a local anesthetic, with a chemical structure similar to cocaine, but critically, it exhibits only about 1% of cocaine’s affinity for dopamine reuptake receptors, meaning it lacks the properties that make cocaine habit-forming.[1] In clinical practice, procaine is administered in small, localized doses such as during dental procedures or minor injections, designed to remain localized and metabolized quickly (Half-life =20 minutes) via plasma pseudocholinesterase, with negligible systemic absorption. [1]
As the case moves forward, the scheduled penalty hearing on 24 November 2025 remains a pivotal moment in determining Dr. Khulbe’s professional fate.
Reference
1) Sheikh, Nafiz K., and Anterpreet Dua. “Procaine.” StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing, updated May 8, 2023. Accessed September 12, 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551556/.
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