Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic surgeon Dr Rudolph Lopes stood down

A surgeon has been stood down and investigation launched into a Hampton Park clinic after health authorities became “gravely concerned” when a mother-of-two died shortly after surgery.

A surgeon has been stood down after a Harjit Kaur, 30, died shortly after surgery at his Hampton Park medical clinic. Picture: Gofundme

A major investigation has been launched into a Melbourne clinic, a surgeon stood down and police called after a woman died shortly after surgery.

The healthcare regulator announced on Friday they were “gravely concerned by the picture emerging” at Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic.

They also suspended Dr Rudolph Lopes, who operated on mother-of-two Harjit Kaur shortly before she died on January 12 after a surgical abortion, and signalled that more practitioners working across multiple locations could be banned.

The Herald Sun can also reveal the investigation has now been widened to include potential issues at other women’s clinics — not connected to Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic.

The coroner is investigating Mrs Kaur’s cause of death.

Heartbroken dad Sukhjinder Singh is still looking for answers after the tragic and sudden death of his wife.

AHPRA chief executive Martin Fletcher said they were “gravely concerned by the picture that is emerging” and had “taken strong action to protect the public while our investigations continue”.

“National Boards stand ready to take any further regulatory action needed to keep patients safe.

“While the Coroner continues to examine the tragic death of a patient, our inquiries are focusing on a wider range of issues. that our investigations bring to light.”

AHPRA’s statement on Friday said they had received a range of concerns about a “number of practitioners associated with the Hampton Park Women’s Clinic”.

“AHPRA has established a specialist team to lead a co-ordinated examination of these issues which involve multiple practitioners across a number of professions and across a number of practice locations.”

The Medical Board of Australia “used regulatory powers reserved for the most serious and urgent cases” to suspend Dr Lopes, it continued.

The health department had already banned the clinic from offering any surgical procedures on February 29 after inspections - brought forward after Mrs Kaur’s death - identified “serious” patient risk concerns.

Dr Rudy Lopes has been found guilty of professional misconduct.

Mrs Kaur’s heartbroken husband Sukhjinder Singh, speaking through family spokesperson Suresh Rajan, said they welcomed the involvement of police for broader issues and were pleased AHPRA was investigating the clinic.

“We’re disappointed it has come after the death of Harjit, but it will ensure what has always been our aim from the start, that we do not have a repeat of this event for another family,” he said.

Mrs Kaur and Sukhjinder Singh had just bought a home shortly before her death and have young children, just two and four-years-old,.

“She had so many dreams,” Mr Singh said.

He said a doctor from the clinic called after his wife’s surgery to say her heartbeat stopped and she wasn’t responding to CPR, and when he arrived they told him she was dead.

“How do I tell them [my children] that they will never see the most significant person in their thus far short lives and brief time on this Earth?” he said.

Mr Singh said he decided to share his wife’s story so what happened to her “is never repeated to any other person in this country”.

The clinic’s medical director, Dr Michelle Kenney, said “time would prove they had no role to play” in Mrs Kaur’s death.

“This is a very awful event that has occurred, and our thoughts and condolences go to the husband,” she said.

She disputed the regulator’s allegations of other serious concerns and said the investigation was a “witch hunt”.

“I think we’re being unfairly treated,” she said.

“We’re being treated as guilty until proven innocent.

“Hampton Park Women’s Health Care Centre has serviced a community for 18 years.

“We’ve always had an excellent reputation as proven by our huge GP database.”

She said she had not been contacted by police in the wake of AHPRA’s investigation.

A Coroners Court spokeswoman said “the coroner was currently awaiting further expert medical advice to determine Ms Kaur’s cause of death”.

“As this is an active investigation, no further comment can be made,” she said.

The Herald Sun can also reveal that the regulator tried to ban the doctor who operated on Mrs Kaur - Dr Lopes - from medicine after multiple sexual harassment claims, and sought to cancel his registration in September 2021.

But they were shut down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with Tribunal members Jonathan Smithers, Dr Peter McNeill and Dr Angelia Sungaila ruling he had already been unable to work for several years while under investigation.

Harjit Kaur died on January 12 shortly after getting a surgical abortion.

The Tribunal heard Dr Lopes had sexually harassed a female midwife he employed for six years, asking “do you want a shag” and “can I see your vagina, pretty please”.

They also heard and made inappropriate comments to a patient during intimate exams, telling her “it [her vagina] looked nice” and “Ha, I didn’t even have to buy you dinner first” after inserting an IUD.

Dr Kenney defended Dr Lopez and said she was aware of his previous history with AHPRA and they had always received positive feedback about him at Hampton.

A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed AHPRA reported a matter to them, but said there was currently no criminal investigation.

“Casey Crime Investigation Unit referred the matter to Victoria Police’s Legal Services Department for advice,” he said.

“It was determined that at this stage there will be no criminal investigation.

“Victoria Police has notified the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency of this outcome.”

The Herald Sun understands the clinic was not referred to Victoria Police over Mrs Kaur’s death, but another matter.

The Health Department is “closely” looking at other private, day procedure clinics which offer surgical terminations of pregnancy. A small number of such clinics operate in the state.

A Health Department spokeswoman said their “thoughts are with the family and friends of the patient amid ongoing investigations by the department, Safer Care Victoria and the Coroner”.

She said they suspended the clinic’s day procedure registration - a different body is responsible for GP services - after “finding it was operating in a manner that poses serious risks to patient health or safety”.

“We worked with nearby health services in the weeks leading up to the suspension to ensure there was as little disruption as possible to patient care – and continue to support any impacted patients. “