A Canada-based Nigerian doctor, Dr Amos Akinbiyi, has taken legal action against the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), accusing the organisation and some of its employees of intimidation, breach of contract, conspiracy, and defamation.
Akinbiyi, who has been practising in Saskatchewan since 1996, claimed he was compelled to intervene in a medical emergency to save his daughter’s life while she was in labour at Regina General Hospital, a decision he believes contravened both professional and cultural boundaries.
According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan’s code of ethics, doctors are generally prohibited from providing medical services to family members, except in emergencies where no other physicians are available.
However, in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Akinbiyi asserted that other medical professionals were present and on call when he was summoned to his daughter’s bedside to resuscitate his daughter on two different occasion.
Akinbiyi’s lawsuit also highlighted that being forced to treat his daughter violated a Nigerian cultural taboo, which forbids parents from seeing their child’s exposed body.
Following the incident, Akinbiyi filed formal complaints against staff at the Regina General Hospital’s obstetrics unit. However, he alleged that his actions triggered a campaign of retaliation against him, which he believes was racially motivated.
According to the report, officials at SHA and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan responded by filing complaints against Akinbiyi, accusing him of unprofessional conduct; an allegation he described as baseless.
He further claimed that he had suffered severe professional and personal consequences for supporting his daughter after she publicly voiced her concerns.
