Brisbane doctor Zaahid Pandie charged with taking inappropriate pictures of women

The director of a children’s emergency department at a Brisbane hospital has been charged with taking inappropriate pictures of women.

Dr Zaahid Pandie.

The director of the children’s emergency department at Queensland’s largest cardiothoracic hospital has been charged with making inappropriate recording or observations of women at Westfield shopping centre.

South African-born Mohamed Zaahid Pandie, 44, has been suspended without pay from the Prince Charles Hospital, following his arrest on seven counts of observations or recordings in breach of privacy.

He was released on bail from the Brisbane Magistrates Court earlier today.

The Metro North Hospital and Health Service confirmed a Prince Charles Hospital staff member had been suspended, but declined to identify the man as Dr Pandie.

But the name and date of birth listed on court file matches those in public records for the emergency doctor, including his registration as a practitioner of emergency and paediatric medicine in Chermside – the location of the hospital – and his directorships of paediatric education companies.

The websites of those companies describe Dr Pandie as being the deputy director of emergency medicine and the director of paediatric emergency medicine at The Prince Charles Hospital.

But it is understood that as of this week, his job title was clinical director of the children’s emergency department at the hospital.

According to the Courier-Mail, the offences allegedly occurred at Garden City Shopping Centre, in Brisbane’s south, on Wednesday.

The Metro North Hospital and Health Service have released a statement announcing the suspension of a “staff member” who was “charged overnight with a range of offences”.

Chief executive Shaun Drummond said further action by the service’s human resources “will be taken”.

“We are a values-based organisation,” Mr Drummond said. “Behaviour that doesn’t align cannot be tolerated.”

According to the health service, its integrity unit has been working closely with Queensland Police.

Dr Pandie’s online profiles have said he began his career in medicine in South Africa, before moving to Brisbane with his young family in 2001.

He is due to face court again at the end of the month.