Doctor struck off after sexual misconduct with patient

INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

A 55-YEAR-OLD South African doctor practising in Australia has been struck off the medical register after being found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a vulnerable 24-year-old patient suffering from mental health issues and alcoholism.

Dr Indren Moodley was also found to have dangerously prescribed high-risk medication. He has been banned from practising medicine for four years.

Moodley, who practised in Australia as a general practitioner for 29 years, was subjected to a tribunal by the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Sacat) after it received a complaint about him from the Medical Board of Australia.

This was after the patient had notified authorities that Moodley had allegedly groomed and seduced her before giving her alcohol and having sex with her.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) released the Sacat's findings last month.

The complainant lodged the complaint with the Medical Board of Australia in October 2021. At the time, Moodley's licence was suspended.

According to the tribunal's findings, the woman had been a patient of Moodley's since 2018.

Between August and September 2021, she had 11 consultations with Moodley and was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, borderline personality disorder, alcoholism, gastritis, abnormal liver function, abdominal pain and vitamin D deficiency.

The tribunal found that Moodley failed to maintain professional boundaries by engaging in an inappropriate and sexualised personal relationship with his patient between September 1, 2021, and September 12, 2021.

In that time, he exchanged 909 text messages with her, including numerous inappropriate, personal, nonclinical and sexual messages.