The disciplinary council of the College of Physicians imposes on the president of the Lacroix medical clinics, the Dr Marc Lacroix, a temporary two-week radiation after finding him guilty of ethical breaches for comments on the management of the pandemic.
• Read also: Ethical misconduct: Dr. Lacroix “went too far”
The Dr Lacroix was found guilty, by two of the three members of the council, in June 2022, of two ethical infractions, in response to the disciplinary complaint of a private complainant, Olivier Bolduc. He was acquitted of five other charges.
In a decision on January 22, the organization imposed a temporary disbarment period of two weeks on one of the offenses and one week on the other, which will be served “concurrently.”
However, the sanction does not take effect immediately since the doctor has 30 days to appeal this decision.
“A clear message must be sent as to the professionalism and rigor expected of a doctor in the public expression of his opinions and the importance of maintaining a dignified, reserved, moderate and scientific data-based discourse,” argues decision.
“Unworthy” remarks
The doctor was accused of having contravened his Code of Ethics and the Professional Code by spreading information that was factually inaccurate, unverifiable or not consistent with current data, on the radio and on social networks, during the health crisis.
On May 8, 2020, at the microphone of host Jeff Fillion on CHOI-FM, he notably declared “let’s stop listening to the WHO”, in addition to criticizing the government by deploring that “we are groping there”. It is in connection with this episode that a temporary two-week radiation was imposed.
For the council, he made “hazardous, denigrating and undignified comments” and it is “an ethical offense which contains a high degree of intrinsic seriousness”.
Furthermore, on Facebook, between July 19 and 29, 2020, the Dr Lacroix had notably written “jester” or “Don’t forget, THE MASK DOES NOT PROTECT” above photos of the Dr Horacio Arruda.
Another post presented a question as to whether the Dr Arruda and Prime Minister Legault were “1. Alzheimer’s? 2. Morons or incompetent? 3. Malicious? 4. Committed to a hidden agenda? 5. Subject to superior orders?
The decision deplores “its lack of professionalism in the context of a pandemic situation” and “the impact of such an attitude on public confidence”, in addition to arguing that certain publications “come close to a speech conspiracy theorist.”
“That a doctor, of public notoriety, contravenes his duty to protect and promote the health and well-being of the population is serious,” lectures the disciplinary council.
Mitigating factors
The Dr Marc Lacroix called for a simple reprimand as a sanction, recalling that the objective of this must be to protect the public and not to punish the professional. This objective has been achieved, he argued, because since the summer of 2020 he has respected the commitment he signed not to communicate his opinions on the pandemic via social media and any other mass media.
The board says it took into account this commitment as well as other mitigating circumstances, including the absence of a disciplinary history and a risk of recidivism deemed low.
He noted, however, that “the respondent did not recognize his wrongs or show remorse that could demonstrate a form of introspection regarding the derogatory acts that were carried out.”
In response to our request for reaction, the director of clinics at Groupe Médical Lacroix, Julie Simard, indicated that no comments will be made.