Supreme court won’t hear Sask radiologist’s appeal

REGINA – A Saskatchewan radiologist whose work prompted a review of nearly 70,000 exams has lost a bid to have his defamation suit heard in the country’s top court. The Supreme Court of Canada says it won’t hear arguments from Dr. Darius Tsatsi (pictured), who had sued the province’s former health minister Don McMorris, the Sunrise Health Region and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan.

An extensive review began in May 2009 and found differences with “the potential to affect patient care” in almost 2,000 of Dr. Tsatsi’s exams, or 2.9 per cent. Dr. Tsatsi, who was working in Yorkton and had been a doctor for more than 26 years, voluntarily stopped practising, but disputed the allegations.

He filed a lawsuit claiming the defendants made statements that implied he was grossly negligent and that were aimed at destroying his reputation. Dr. Tsatsi’s suit was dismissed in the lower courts.

As usual, the Supreme Court did not give reasons why it refused to hear the case.