May 27 2009. SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA. Dr L. Darius Tsatsi, 52, pictured, a University of Cape Town-trained radiologist who worked for the SA government for several years and was a professor of radiology at the Medical University of South Africa — is in trouble in Canada. Questions have been raised about his ability to ‘correctly read scans’. More than 70,000 scans he has analysed since 2004 now are being reviewed… see
Joe Kirwan, CEO of the Sunshine Health Region in Saskathewan, Canada, said ´as soon as we heard about potential misinterpretations identified in this review we took action… all exams being questioned will be reviewed. Patients will be made of aware of their exams and their family physicians will be notified.´
The issue of medical errors was placed under intense focus in this Canadian province following the disturbing news that Saskatchewan’s Health Ministry also ordered a review of more than 70,000 diagnostic images — X-rays, mammograms, CT scans and untrasounds — that had been interpreted by the South African-born radiologist whose skills were being questioned at Yorkton hospital ever since 2006. Dr. L. Darius Tsatsi’s hospital privileges were suspended this month by the Sunrise Health Region pending investigations and a competency hearing by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Tsatsi has worked for Sunrise since 2004, writes the Leader Post newspaper in Saskatchewan. http://www.leaderpost.com/Health/When+lives+stake+there+room+error/1619319/story.html
Toll free number for patients
A special toll-free number, 1 877 854 4424 has been set up for worried patients in the region. More than 70,000 of Dr Tsatsi’s scans are now being reviewed for accuracy. Sharon Tropin, their director of communications, can be phoned by the news media at 306 786 0144.
The Yorkton based Sunrise Health Region announced that it suspended Dr Tsatsi on May 14 after ´serious problems were found in cases he had been involved in. ´Dr Tsatsi reportedly welcomed the review, and has agreed to stop practicing medicine while it was underway.`
One patient who publicly expressed concern was Joanna Sigurdson from Canora in east/central Saskatchewan, who told CBC News that she had contacted the toll/free information line to learn more about two mammograms performed on her in September 2008.
- Tsatsi had examined her test results and determined that there ´had been nothing to be concerned about´. However she said she now was ón ´pins and needles´ while waiting for the results of the review of her scan.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskathewan said in a statement that it had first reviewed 103 scans that Tsatsi had done last year after problems arose from 2006. Their interpretation of these scans differed from his on too many occasions, the health alert was then raised, and he was suspended.
Diagnostic errors
`The amount of times where diagnostic errors could have “disastrous” consequences for patients was “worryingly” high´, said the college. `There were at least five cases where patients were at risk´, it was reported from Canada. A committee was also appointed to hold a hearing to establish whether Tsatsi’s skills are satisfactory.
According to the college, ´shortcomings in Tsatsi’s skills had first been detected during a routine check of his work in 2006.
- `There was concern over his ability to spot abnormalities on scans. The college’s council suspected that Tsatsi perhaps did not have “sufficient skills and knowledge” to do his work, and wanted to subject him then already to a “competency hearing”.
Refresher course
- Tsatsi undertook via his lawyer to do refresher courses and managed to avoid the hearing, it is alleged.
- He completed a refresher course at the McMaster University, but the college was still not satisfied and 103 scans were re-evaluated.
When did he graduate?
- It would appear that Tsatsi moved to Canada in 2004. He qualified as a radiologist at the University of Cape Town in 1976 according to most news reports, but according to his own Facebook page, he graduated in 1982.
He was born on 29 March 1957, again according to his brief Facebook profile — so he could not possibly have graduated in 1976 because he would only have been ten years old at the time.
Beeld newspaper has also established that in May 2004, he was still the head of radiology at Dr George Mukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa when the hospital had opened a R11-million angiography unit. He was also a professor at Medunsa.
- Tsatsi was also on the editorial committee of the South African Radiology Journal and worked at a private hospital in Mafikeng.
Bertha Scheepers of the Health Professions Council for South Africa told Beeld newspaper on May 27 2009 that ´they ‘had no records of any complaints against Tsatsi.´ And the local health authority in Canada also said the qualifications and testimonials with which Tsatsi had arrived in the country were “impeccable”.
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