Lawyer Francis Pereira, who represented the 30-year-old victim, said the council’s decision was notified to him in writing today.
The written decision, sighted by FMT, revealed that the punishment imposed by the council had been recommended by a disciplinary board following a hearing.
The board had said the psychiatrist ought not to have engaged in a sexual or emotional relationship with any patient, let alone one undergoing treatment for mental health.
The board had also found no credible evidence to support his defence.
“The respondent did send text messages to the patient who was in a vulnerable emotional and mental state,” the board had said.
It found that the psychiatrist’s actions had contravened Section 2.2.4 of the MMC’s Code of Professional Conduct.
Section 2.2.4 provides that a practitioner must not enter into an emotional or sexual relationship, or any act which may be interpreted as sexual harassment with a patient which disrupts that patient’s family life or otherwise damages, or causes distress to, the patient or his or her family.
The board had taken into consideration that the psychiatrist had in mitigation acknowledged that his behaviour was inappropriate and expressed remorse for it.
“The respondent has been severely punished and has suffered severe losses as a result of the incident, including loss of work, income and reputation,” the board noted.
The psychiatrist was found to have sent a series of lewd messages to the patient between June 5 and June 10, 2019.
The woman had earlier that year sought his services for severe anxiety, depression and insomnia, and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and prescribed medications.
The psychiatrist was also charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code for allegedly insulting the patient’s modesty at a private hospital here on Feb 12, 2019.
However, he was acquitted early last year without his defence being called after a magistrate ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused.
The High Court later dismissed the prosecution’s appeal.