A doctor has been found guilty of professional misconduct after allegedly playing with a young female patient’s nipples before trying to apologise by purchasing her groceries.
NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard on Wednesday that a woman, referred to as Patient A, visited Moruya Medical Centre in January 2020, after injuring her knee.
The woman, who was 31 at the time, was treated by Dr Sharwan Narayan, now 45, who she described as a ‘nice, knowledgeable doctor’.
But over the course of her next few appointments, the tribunal noted the doctor’s conduct became inappropriate.
During one visit, the date of which was unclear, Patient A told the tribunal she was ‘a bit shocked’ when Dr Narayan allegedly asked her to hug him.
On February 18, during a massage of Patient A’s leg, the tribunal heard Dr Narayan massaged further up so his hands were ‘quite close to her pubic area’.
‘Patient A said she didn’t say anything, she shut down. She had learned to disassociate during trauma she had suffered as a child,’ the tribunal said.
Dr Narayan said he would perform a skin check after removing a mole the week before and, when Patient A said she wasn’t wearing a bra, he reportedly told her: ‘Just pull it down, it’s fine.’
Patient A alleged Dr Narayan started cupping her breasts: ‘He tweaked or played with her nipples even though she had not said anything about having any issue,’ the tribunal heard.
‘He said “oh they’re not hard”, referring to her nipples. Patient A understood him to mean that she was not aroused.’
The young woman allegedly froze and made a non-committal response while ‘just waiting for it to be over’.
Patient A attended three more appointments at the centre after experiencing deep vein thrombosis.
During a visit on March 13, the tribunal heard the doctor asked the woman about her sex life during a knee massage, including if her partner was able to give her orgasms.
When Dr Narayan finished, the tribunal heard he kept talking about ‘sexual stuff’ and said he’d taught a lesbian couple how to give each other the best orgasms.
‘Then he said “I can give you the best orgasm of your life”. I was like “ok”. He again asked me for a hug and I just stood there. I then left,’ Patient A told the tribunal.
He had never said anything sexual before, although she thought he had touched her inappropriately, the tribunal heard.
The tribunal heard the doctor phoned the young woman when she did not turn up to a pre-booked appointment for a follow up scan.
He said he was sorry if he had made her uncomfortable at the last appointment and asked her to come to Batemans Bay Hospital for a free DVT scan.
At the hospital, Dr Narayan gave her a big ALDI shopping bag and allegedly said: ‘This is for you. l’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or I thought I may have made you feel uncomfortable so this is for you.’
The tribunal heard there was a big tub of ice cream, kombucha, Dove moisturiser and chocolates in the bag which Patient A estimated would have cost more than $50.
When she left, the tribunal noted ‘she felt really uncomfortable and felt as if he was trying to bribe her’.
On one occasion after the hospital trip, she reportedly called Dr Narayan to obtain a prescription but did not return to the centre until after he had left the practice.
Dr Narayan denied the allegations made by Patient A during the tribunal. His legal team was contacted by Daily Mail for comment.
In its decision, the tribunal said the doctor’s conduct was of a ‘very serious nature and demonstrates a significant departure from accepted standards’.
‘Patient A was a vulnerable patient. To receive healthcare, she needed to allow Dr Narayan to conduct physical examinations,’ the decision said.
‘A breach of sexual boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship exploits this power imbalance.’
Dr Narayan was found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and of professional misconduct.
The tribunal will determine protective orders following a further Stage 2 hearing.
Dr Narayan worked in medical imaging for 18 years before earning a Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Notre Dame in 2015.
He was registered in 2016 as a GP and worked as a GP registrar at the Moruya Medical Centre from February 2019 to August 2020.
In June 2023, Dr Narayan’s license as a medical practitioner was suspended for three months.
He had been found guilty by NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct towards a different patient and two colleagues.
When he returned to work, conditions were imposed which included that he practise under supervision, undergo mentoring and attend for treatment with a psychologist.
News.com.au has reported that he is currently working as a general practitioner on Norfolk Island, with conditions attached to his registration.