Loss of doctor

August 18, 2016

In July, Dr. Rob Kamermans received notice of his revocation of his licence and had 12 hours in which to wind down his practice. Now came the aftermath.

My wife and I had been in his office during this to get new prescriptions. From there we went to our pharmacy to have them filled.

The pharmacy told us that this would be our last prescription that they would fill from Dr. Kamermans and that any prescriptions on file with repeats were to be deleted and no longer available.

I contacted the Canada Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CSPO) and asked what people could do about existing meds and upcoming specialists’ appointments that had been referred by the then Dr. Kamermans. I explained many residents have prescriptions for major illnesses and because of disabilities and isolation and financial limitations aren’t able to travel seeking medical help to great distances.

I was told that the patients were not their responsibility and the now ex-doctor should continue to help his patients. I replied but his license was revoked.

The representative went on to say that the responsibility of CSPO is to make sure that the doctors do their jobs and uphold standards of practice for their patients when a licence is revoked. What happens to the patients after is not their responsibility.

I told him that even an autonomous organization like theirs, outside of their policy, has a higher level of care. There is an ethical and moral standard they should adhere to after creating a situation by which patients are abandon by removing a doctor’s licence in a township that has no other way to provide alternative medical care. It is their responsibility,

Dr. Kamermans had approximately 500 patients that relied on him for referals, renewing specialist perscriptions and emergency treatment.

It is sad that the organization that removed Dr. Kamermans licence to protect his patients from him is in turn abandoning the patients they were to protect.

Lloyd Embury, Coe Hill