Thursday, January 24, 2019

Toronto doctor stripped of licence after panel hears she had sex with cancer patient in his hospital bed

By Jacques GallantLegal Affairs Reporter

Wed., Jan. 23, 2019

The day after she diagnosed a patient with cancer, Dr. Theepa Sundaralingam gave him her personal phone number and Instagram handle.
Over the next few months in 2015, frequent flirtatious texting turned into hugging and kissing and eventually progressed to the Toronto doctor masturbating and having intercourse with her patient in his hospital bed while he was being treated for his illness.

Toronto oncologist Dr. Theepa Sundaralingam leaves a discipline hearing at the College of Physicians and Surgeons on Wednesday. (Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star)

And for all that — which was laid out in documents filed at Sundaralingam’s discipline hearing — the doctor was stripped of her licence Wednesday by a discipline panel at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, having been found guilty of sexually abusing a patient.
“From virtually the beginning of your doctor/patient relationship, you crossed boundaries and ultimately sexually abused an extremely vulnerable patient suffering from a life-threatening illness,” discipline panel chair John Langs told Sundaralingam in an official reprimand, as the doctor stood in the middle of the room facing the panel.
“The committee can only hope that this process prompts you to undergo a long, hard searching self-examination of what lies behind your abusive and abhorrent behaviour.”

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The Star is not identifying the name of the hospital where Sundaralingam worked, nor a second where the patient received treatment because both are covered by a publication ban.
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Sundaralingam, a 37-year-old oncologist, pleaded no contest, meaning she was not admitting guilt but consented to the panel accepting the allegations as fact, which were laid out in a statement of uncontested facts filed at the hearing.
The patient, referred to as Patient A due to a publication ban, said in a victim impact statement that he is fighting through this “traumatic experience” just as he fought through cancer.

Article Continued Below

“It’s difficult for me to talk to anybody about it because the reality is that I’m a male ... so for me to say, ‘Hey, I dated my oncologist,’ it wouldn’t be a surprise for someone to say ‘Cool.’ But that’s not cool,” the patient said in his statement, which was read by college prosecutor Amy Block.
“That’s not the case because I feel abused, and it’s very difficult as a male to come out and say that about a female. It’s usually the other way around.”
During her medical appointments with Patient A, Sundaralingam behaved “in a physical, flirty and sexual manner,” according to the statement of uncontested facts.
She visited Patient A a number of times at his home, where he lived with his family, and would spend hours with him in his bedroom engaging in sexual activities. Phone sex was also a regular activity, according to the statement.
Over text, they discussed topics including their favourite pornography.
“Have u ever been to a porn and cheese party?” she asked the patient in a text filed at the hearing. “Oh wait, I don’t think that’s a normal activity. My bad.”
She explained to her patient that everyone has to bring a cheese and a porn clip that are somehow related, and everyone at the party watches together.
“Oh -and there was a prize for the person who had the best cheese and porn combination. I may have been to one.”
Sundaralingam would also visit him while he was an in-patient at a different hospital receiving cancer treatment, where the patient’s whole family got to know her. Once she arrived at the hospital after she had been drinking, and the two engaged in “mutual sexual touching,” according to the statement. On another occasion, her attempt at masturbating the patient in his hospital bed was interrupted when a friend walked in.
Toward the end of the patient’s stay in hospital, Sundaralingam slept overnight. The two had intercourse twice while he was an in-patient, the discipline panel was told.
“Dr. Sundaralingam repeatedly asked Patient A to delete their texts and keep their relationship a secret, as she was concerned the college would become aware of their sexual and inappropriate relationship,” according to the statement of uncontested facts.
She also instructed him to scratch her name out of the visitor’s log at the hospital where he was an in-patient so there would be no evidence she was ever there. He did as he was told.
The sexual relationship came to an end later in 2015 when, after having sex with Patient A at his home, she told him she was in love with a colleague with whom she was having an affair. By the end of the year, she was refusing to see him, but did end up treating him one last time the following year for an infection.
“You were responsible for your patient’s health, care and support, but instead you took advantage for your own personal satisfaction,” the discipline panel told Sundaralingam in its reprimand.
“You then withdrew that support for your own personal preference at a time when your patient was at his lowest point. You have disgraced yourself and the profession.”
A doctor found guilty of having sex with a patient automatically loses their licence under Ontario law. Sundaralingam must also post credit for $16,000 to cover patient therapy costs, and pay an additional $6,000 to cover the costs of Wednesday’s discipline hearing.
Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter covering legal affairs. Follow him on Twitter: @JacquesGallant

Japanese company acknowledges ‘whitewashing’ Naomi Osaka in ads

By Des BielerThe Washington Post

Thu., Jan. 24, 2019

A Japanese noodle company acknowledged “whitewashing” Naomi Osaka in online ads that it said it has pulled. The tennis star, who plays for Japan and is also of Haitian descent, was depicted as having lighter skin and a more narrow nose in the anime-style ads, which caused an outcry.
“We never had the intention to do what is known as ‘whitewashing,’ but with this becoming an issue, we will pay more attention to respect for diversity in our PR activities,” a Nissin spokesman told the Japan Times.

Japan's Naomi Osaka answers questions at a press conference following her win over Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Mark Schiefelbein / AP)

The “Hungry to Win” ad campaign was designed by manga artist Takeshi Konomi, based on his popular “Prince of Tennis” series, and it also featured Kei Nishikori, the ATP’s ninth-ranked player. The company said the depiction of Osaka, 21, was in keeping with Konomi’s well-known style, but a spokesman told The Guardian, “We accept that we are not sensitive enough.”
Osaka signed with Nissin in 2016, then enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2018 which culminated in a defeat of Serena Williams in September for the U.S. Open title, marking the first Grand Slam singles title for a player representing Japan. Seeking to win consecutive Grand Slam titles, Osaka was set to play Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals of the Australian Open, with her exploits making major news in Japan.
Osaka was born in the city of the same name in Japan to a mother from that country and a father from Haiti, then moved to the New York area when she was three before honing her tennis skills in Florida. She holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and Japan, but her father reportedly chose the latter country’s tennis federation, although Osaka has said she’s uncomfortable with trying to speak Japanese in public.

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Baye McNeil, an American-born columnist for the Japan Times who focuses on the intersection of race and culture in his adopted country, wrote recently that he had been “anticipating Osaka’s appearance” in Nissin’s promotions “since it isn’t often that a high-profile woman of color is featured in a major Japanese ad campaign.” He said that he was “truly disappointed to see that there was no woman of color to speak of in the commercial,” adding “Everything that distinguishes Osaka from your typical Japanese anime character was gone, and what was left? Your typical Japanese anime character.”
“She looks totally like a white woman in the ad,” McNeil said of Osaka to the Associated Press. Claiming that Japanese companies would do well to address issues of inclusion when trying to reach a global market, he said, “They are not thinking on that level. . . . It may be painful, but Japan is going through growing pains right now.”
“We as a company put human rights first, and our stance of valuing diversity is unchanged,” a Nissin spokesman told the AP. “Whitewashing has never been our intention.”

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Japanese company acknowledges ‘whitewashing’ Naomi Osaka in ads

“We never had the intention to do what is known as ‘whitewashing,’ but with this becoming an issue, we will pay more attention to respect for diversity in our PR activities,” a Nissin spokesman said.

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La Alta Comisionada de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos llamó al "diálogo político" y calificó la situación en el país como "muy preocupante".

La Alta Comisionada de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, Michelle Bachelet, pidió este jueves en Davos una “solución política pacífica” en Venezuela después de que un líder opositor se autoproclamara el miércoles presidente interino del país.
“Esperamos que haya una solución política pacífica, en la cual haya un diálogo político que nos permita llegar a una respuesta que tenga que ser pacífica”, dijo Bachelet a la AFP en Davos, donde participa en el Foro Económico Mundial. Allí, ayer aseguró que Maduro la había invitado a Venezuela pero que antes una misión verá las condiciones.

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La Alta Comisionada calificó la situación de “muy preocupante” y abogó por el diálogo para evitar “un desarrollo de muertos y heridos” en el país latinoamericano.
El miércoles, el jefe parlamentario opositor Juan Guaidó se autoproclamó presidente interino de Venezuela, con el reconocimiento de Estados Unidos y de otros países de América y del mundo.
Según el Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (OVCS), una oenegé crítica con el gobierno, los disturbios en Venezuela entre el martes y este miércoles en las protestas contra el presidente Nicolás Maduro dejaron al menos trece muertos.

Bonos venezolanos alcanzan máximos de 2017 tras respaldo de EEUU a Guaidó

Autor: Reuters

Jue 24 Ene 2019 | 01:09 pm

"Por primera vez, existe la sensación de que hay presión tanto fuera como dentro del país", dijo David Nietlispach, de la administradora de fondos Pala Asset Management.

Los bonos en dólares del gobierno venezolano y de la petrolera estatal PDVSA alcanzaban este jueves su nivel más alto desde 2017, luego de que el respaldo de Estados Unidos al líder opositor Juan Guaidó alentó expectativas de cambio en un país sumido en una crisis.
Guaidó se proclamó presidente interino el miércoles y consiguió el respaldo de Washington y gran parte de América Latina, lo que llevó al socialista Nicolás Maduro, presidente del país desde 2013, a romper relaciones con Estados Unidos.
El país sudamericano miembro de la OPEP tiene las reservas de petróleo más grandes del mundo y es un proveedor importante de las refinerías de Estados Unidos, pero está hundido en una recesión por mala gestión y una hiperinflación que este año puede alcanzar un récord de 10 millones por ciento.

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El gobierno de Maduro comenzó en 2017 a detener gradualmente los pagos de intereses de unos US$50.000 millones de deuda que se negocia en los mercados, en un esfuerzo por ahorrar dólares para apoyar a la economía.
Muchos de los bonos soberanos de Venezuela se han transado a menos de la mitad de su valor nominal desde fines de 2014, ya que los inversores se han resignado al hecho de que gran parte del dinero que prestaron a Caracas no les será devuelto.
“Por primera vez, existe la sensación de que hay presión tanto fuera como dentro del país”, dijo David Nietlispach, de Pala Asset Management, cuya firma posee tanto bonos soberanos como de Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).
“Es un paso enorme si los estadounidenses ya no reconocen al gobierno (…) Además de eso, parece que tenemos un candidato que parece poder unir a la oposición”, añadió.
Por su parte, Turquía y Rusia expresaron su apoyo a Maduro.
Sin embargo, el impulso hizo que el bono venezolano de 2024 dólares subiera otros 0,5 centavos antes de estabilizarse, luego de haber ganado más de 4 centavos el miércoles.
El bono PDVSA 2035 sumó 1,5 centavos para alcanzar su nivel más alto en nueve meses antes de las operaciones en Estados Unidos y Venezuela.
A pesar del alza de los bonos de los últimos días, pocos inversionistas con experiencia en Venezuela esperan una resolución en un futuro próximo. El asunto es cuánto pagará cualquier nuevo gobierno porque habrá que abordar problemas mucho más acuciantes, por ejemplo, garantizar que la población vuelva a tener suficientes alimentos y medicinas.
“No habrá una reestructuración de deuda de Venezuela hasta que haya un cambio de régimen, eso parece claro”, dijo el experto en reestructuración de deuda soberana Lee Buchheit de Cleary Gottlieb.
Una vez que haya un cambio y se establezca un gobierno aceptable para Estados Unidos y otros países, la prioridad sería abordar la situación humanitaria y luego reinvertir en la infraestructura petrolera en decadencia, que requiere grandes sumas de dinero, añadió Buchheit.
Peter Kisler, de North Asset Management, cuya firma compró más bonos venezolanos hace unos seis meses, dijo que el mejor escenario era que las cosas comiencen a moverse en aproximadamente un año. Sin embargo, podría demorar más y es posible que los inversores no recuperen todo su dinero.
“Nuestra impresión general es que 30 a 40 centavos será la recuperación final. El problema es que ahora estamos llegando a ese punto y todavía no estamos seguros de que él (Maduro) se vaya”, dijo.

Ministro de Defensa y Fuerza Armada de Venezuela dan su respaldo a Maduro y denuncian intento de golpe de Estado

Autor: F. Labarca y EFE

Jue 24 Ene 2019 | 01:06 pm

El ministro Vladimir Padrino calificó la autorpoclamación como presidente de Guaidó como "un evento reprochable", "aberrante" y un "hecho vergonzoso".

Vladimir Padrino, ministro de Defensa y la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela ratificaron su apoyo al jefe de Estado, Nicolás Maduro, un día después de que el presidente del Parlamento, Juan Guaidó, anunciara que, acogiéndose a la Constitución, decidió autoproclamarse mandatario interino, y aseguró que se está ejecutando un golpe de Estado.
El ministro de Defensa calificó que lo acontecido ayer por el líder de la Asamblea Nacional es “un evento reprochable. Un señor levantando la mano nuevamente autoproclamándose Presidente de Veenezuela. Es un asunto gravísimo que atenta contra el Estado de Derecho y la paz de todos los venezolano” y agregó. “Es aberrante lo que hemos visto el día de ayer”.
“Desde hace tiempo se viene fraguando un vulgar golpe de Estado (…), y ese plan llegó ayer a niveles de altísima peligrosidad”, denunció el ministro venezolano.

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“Alerto al pueblo de Venezuela que se está llevando un golpe de Estado contra la institucionalidad, contra la democracia, contra nuestra Constitución, contra el presidente Nicolás Maduro, presidente legítimo”, aseguró.
“Esto que acaba de ocurrir es un hecho vergonzoso, da pena, da mucha pena ver lo que está ocurriendo con factores desquiciados, con personas fuera de su centro, con personas que pretenden irrumpir con una manera violenta, esquizofrénica y no racional”, agregó.
Es por ello que hacen un llamado al diálogo: “Las cosas que no se puedan dirimirse fuera de esta Constitución o dentro de ella, tiene que ser producto de un diálogo positivo, franco, sincero. Se ha llamado en innumerables veces al diálogo”.
Generales encargados de la defensa de las diferentes regiones de Venezuela ratificaron hoy su apoyo al jefe de Estado, Nicolás Maduro, un día después de que el presidente del Parlamento, Juan Guaidó, anunciara que, acogiéndose a la Constitución, decidió autoproclamarse mandatario interino.
“Somos un país democrático donde su presidente es escogido solo por el pueblo, quien es ese pueblo el soberano en las decisiones del destino de nuestra patria, el pueblo de Venezuela por ejercicio del voto libre y secreto eligió al ciudadano Nicolás Maduro Moros como presidente”, dijo el mayor general Manuel Bernal Martínez.
El jefe militar encargado de la región de los Andes apareció en un video que fue transmitido en el canal estatal VTV acompañado de otros soldados, donde seguidamente fueron difundidas las declaraciones, en el mismo tono, de los generales Víctor Palacio García, de la región de Los Llanos, y de Domingo Hernández Lares, de la región Central.
“Solo reconocemos y ratificamos lealtad absoluta al presidente constitucional de la república bolivariana de Venezuela, comandante en jefe de la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana (FANB) Nicolás Maduro Moros, elegido por el pueblo para el período 2019-2025, leales siempre, traidores nunca. ¡Chavez vive!”, dijo Palacio García.
Por su parte, Hernández Lares dijo: “Proclamamos lealtad y subordinación absoluta al ciudadano Nicolás Maduro Moros, presidente constitucional (…) y comandante en jefe de la FANB, electo por el pueblo y como tal es el único que ostenta el mando directo y supremo de la FANB”.
El ministro de Defensa, Vladimir Padrino, manifestó ayer, a través de Twitter, su respaldo a Maduro.
En su mensaje de ayer dijo: “El desespero y la intolerancia atentan contra la paz de la Nación. Los soldados de la Patria no aceptamos a un presidente impuesto a la sombra de oscuros intereses ni autoproclamado al margen de la Ley. La FANB defiende nuestra Constitución y es garante de la soberanía nacional”.
Vía Twitter, Padrino ha replicado mensajes de apoyo a Maduro de la Aviación Naval y Milicia Bolivariana que se han hecho, asimismo, a través de esta red social.

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Thursday, January 24, 2019