A Toronto-based anorectal specialist has been stripped of his medical license after Ontario’s medical discipline tribunal ruled that his conduct repeatedly harmed patients and placed them at unacceptable risk. The tribunal concluded that the misconduct was systemic, ongoing, and demonstrated a fundamental lack of insight into professional obligations, leaving revocation as the only option to protect the public.
The ruling was issued by the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal, following proceedings initiated by the province’s medical regulator.
The doctor, Dr. Ashwin Rajan Maharaj, entered a no-contest plea to the allegations brought forward by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). As a result, the tribunal accepted the regulator’s factual findings without requiring a full evidentiary hearing.
Based on those findings, the tribunal ordered the revocation of Maharaj’s certificate of registration, effectively barring him from practicing medicine in Ontario. The panel noted that revocation is permanent unless a future reapplication meets strict regulatory requirements.
In its decision, the tribunal found that Maharaj performed unnecessary anorectal examinations and procedures that were not supported by accepted medical evidence or standards of care. Some procedures were outdated, lacked diagnostic justification, or failed to align with established clinical guidelines.
The panel concluded that these actions placed patients at unacceptable risk of harm, and that the care provided reflected poor clinical judgment and unsafe practice patterns.
A central concern in the ruling involved systemic failures in informed consent. The tribunal found that patients were often asked to sign general or blanket consent forms during initial visits. Maharaj then proceeded to perform additional examinations or procedures without obtaining specific, informed consent.
In some cases, procedures occurred after patients were sedated, eliminating their ability to consent meaningfully. The tribunal ruled that this practice violated patient autonomy and breached legal and ethical consent requirements.
The tribunal also identified serious privacy and record-keeping violations. Maharaj failed to properly safeguard patient records, including highly sensitive and graphic medical photographs. The panel found that confidential information was inadequately stored and, in some cases, improperly handled.
These actions were deemed significant breaches of patient privacy obligations and professional ethics.
Ontario tribunal revoked the Toronto anorectal doctor’s medical license.
Misconduct was repeated, systemic, and caused patient harm.
Unnecessary, non-evidence-based procedures were performed.
Informed consent was routinely violated, including during sedation.
Serious breaches of patient privacy and record-keeping were found.
In its written reasons, the tribunal emphasized that the misconduct was not isolated, describing it as repeated, systemic, and ongoing. It concluded that Maharaj demonstrated a fundamental lack of insight into his professional responsibilities, making remediation unlikely.
The panel ruled that revoking his license was necessary to protect the public interest.
(Rh/ARC)
