Apr 18, 2023
Two Ontario doctors accused of spreading COVID misinformation, including one who provided groundless vaccine exemptions to 168 people, attesting that the shots would expose them to “unacceptable medical risk,” have agreed to give up their licences to practise, and to never seek one again...
Hassell, a family doctor who practised in Richmond Hill, entered a plea of no contest at a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario disciplinary hearing in November. The regulator found Hassell committed professional misconduct for his prescribing of the controversial anti-parasitic ivermectin for COVID-19, and for providing mask and vaccine exemptions without adequate medical justification.
Rona, a general practitioner who had a solo practice in Thornhill focused on complementary medicine, made “inflammatory” statements about vaccinations, suggested in his Twitter posts that the public was being conned by medical experts and called Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases official who became the face of America’s COVID response, a “murderer,” according to agreed facts at his disciplinary hearing.
Both doctors agreed to never re-apply to practise medicine in Ontario, or any other jurisdiction, again.
Their cases are part of a crackdown by the doctors’ college on members it has accused of spreading misleading, unscientific and deceptive information about COVID-19. At last count, there were 50 investigations into 30 physicians as of January.
In April 2021, the college threatened to investigate and discipline doctors who were making anti-vaccine, anti-masking, anti-distancing and anti-lockdown statements, or promoting unsupported or unproven treatments for COVID.
The regulators’ response to renegade doctors has stirred such strong emotions and threats, the college was forced in January to limit public access to its Toronto building.
“Over the past couple of years, College staff and Council members have been receiving threatening and hate-filled calls and emails,” a spokesperson said in an email. Some included graphic death threats. “Our building has been shot at multiple times, breaking the front windows. Fecal matter was hung on the College’s front door.”
“These threats are rising.”...
The agreements to give up their licences mean the college avoids a contested hearing, which could be lengthy and with no guaranteed outcomes, for either party, a college spokesperson said.