Doctor Rajesh Basavaraj: Riverwood GP jiggled woman’s breasts
A Sydney GP locked his consultation door before jiggling a woman’s breasts and squeezing her nipple. The woman had gone to his surgery with a sore throat and had inquired about a new contraceptive pill script.
St George Shire Standard
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A doctor who conducted a wildly inappropriate breast examination during which he commented on a woman’s nipple ring then “jiggled” her breasts will be forced to relearn how to do breast exams with a breast surgeon.
Dr Rajesh Basavaraj from Revival Medical Centre in Riverwood was formally reprimanded for the unorthodox breast examination and his failure to obtain the woman’s consent for the procedure.
On January 21 the Health Care Complaints Commission heard a woman known as Patient A presented to Dr Basavaraj due to a sore throat in late 2016.
Dr Basavaraj then initiated a breast examination when Patient A requested a contraceptive pill script.
“The practitioner put his hands palms down underneath Patient A’s breasts and moved her breasts up and down for a few seconds, then repeated this action by ‘jiggling’ her breasts (although) Patient A had not complained of any breast lumps,” commission documents state.
“(He) then squeezed her nipple in circumstances where Patient A had not complained of any nipple discharge and squeezing the nipple was not a necessary part of the examination.”
Dr Basavaraj conceded he had gently squeezed the patient’s areola in order “to identify any lumps immediately below the nipple while looking for any possible discharge”.
The commission also accepted Patient A’s claims Dr Basavaraj asked her what her tattoo meant, and then made a remark about her nipple piercing while she was partially undressed on the examination couch.
“In respect of her nipple piercing Dr Basavaraj said words to Patient A to the effect of ‘that must have hurt’,” commission documents state.
The commission also found Dr Basavaraj had erred by locking the consulting room door during Patient A’s breast examination, ostensibly to prevent anyone from walking in.
“Dr Basavaraj said it was not uncommon for children or patients with dementia or others to mistakenly enter his consultation room,” commission documents state.
“The doctor seemed unaware that locking the door without adequate explanation could be frightening to a patient, and especially a young woman.”
The commission determined Dr Basavaraj’s decision to perform the breast exam, his failure to provide an adequate reason, his approach of squeezing Patient A’s nipple, his comments about her nipple piercing and his decision to lock the door without asking amounted to unsatisfactory professional conduct.
The commission also accepted Dr Basavaraj had “jiggled” Patient A’s breasts but did not determine this amounted to unsatisfactory professional conduct.
He will now have to attend clinical sessions with an approved breast surgeon and observe their consultations.
“The objectives are to learn about communication before and during intimate examinations, seeking consent for breast examination, indications for breast examinations, risk factors for breast disease and to observe breast examinations and conduct them under supervision,” commission documents state.
He will also have to enrol in a clinical communication program with the Cognitive Institute
and meet with a supervisor to discuss professional boundaries and have his patient consultations observed.
The committee which oversaw the inquiry in December last year was chaired by Dr Arthur Glass and comprised of Dr Candace Newberry, Dr Jon Fogarty and Dr Catherine Berglund.