Doctor's lawsuit against Sask. Health Authority alleges discrimination at Regina General Hospital
Dr. Amos Akinbiyi says there has been a retaliation campaign against him motivated by racism
A Regina doctor is taking the Saskatchewan Health Authority to court, accusing the organization and some of its employees of intimidation, breach of contract, conspiracy and defamation.
Dr. Amos Akinbiyi said he believes there has been a retaliation campaign against him motivated by racism.
"The treatment that I've had with the SHA only made me realize that I don't belong," Akinbiyi said.
The allegations in his lawsuit have not been tested in court.
Originally from Nigeria, Akinbiyi was educated and trained in England and Scotland.
He has worked in England, Saudi Arabia, and Newfoundland and Labrador as an obstetrician gynecologist, or ob-gyn, and began working in Saskatchewan in 1996.
Between 1996 and 2021, Akinbiyi trained medical residents to become specialists like him. He said he was happy in the province until 2017.
That's when Akinbiyi says he was forced to save his daughter's life when she began coding, or experiencing a medical emergency, as she gave birth.
Doctors are not supposed to provide medical services to their family members. According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan's code of ethics, it is only allowed in emergency situations and when no other physicians are available.
Akinbiyi said other medical professionals were available and on-call when was called to his daughter's bedside.
WATCH | Regina doctor sues health authority over alleged discrimination, racism:
His lawsuit also states that his actions were a violation of a cultural taboo in Nigeria against a parent viewing their child's exposed body.
"They called me to come and resuscitate my own daughter, and I told them not to [call me]. So what happened was that two hours after she coded again, guess who they called? They called me to come and resuscitate," Akinbiyi said.
Akinbiyi said that after the incident, as he was upset about performing the life-saving procedure, he was told to go home.
"How could I go home? My daughter is in code blue. I mean, that's between life and death," Akinbiyi said.
He filed complaints against the workers at the Regina General Hospital's obstetrics unit and supported his daughter as she went public with her concerns.
Akinbiyi alleges his actions affected his standing with the health authority, and that other officials retaliated against him by filing complaints with the health authority and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan.
He said the complaints, which include unprofessional conduct, have been without merit.
'Committed to pursuing this': doctor
Two charges filed with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan have been resolved with an undertaking, where Akinbiyi agreed to undergo education.
The charges were not admitted to or proven, according to the college's disciplinary records. One charge of unprofessional conduct remains pending.
The complaints with the Saskatchewan Health Authority remain unresolved.
Akinbiyi is now suing the health authority and various staff members at the obstetrics unit. It has been an expensive and lengthy process, but Akinbiyi said he's motivated by more than just an effort to clear his name.
"This is not the first time SHA will be doing this to some ethnic doctors, and I feel I'm committed to pursuing this to a conclusive end despite all the financial involvement, despite all the exhaustion, because this is a task for generations to come, not just only for me," Akinbiyi said.
The health authority said in a statement that it will not comment on legal matters before the court, but is committed to delivering high-quality health care across Saskatchewan.
"We are dedicated to maintaining a collegial and collaborative workplace that provides a healthy and positive environment," the health authority wrote in a statement.
In court on Friday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority's lawyers moved to strike its employees from the lawsuit, saying they were acting in their official capacity as health workers. The health authority also moved to strike claims it argued were deficient.
Justice Andrew Davis reserved his decision.
Complaints and external review
Although Akinbiyi is the only doctor taking part in his lawsuit, he said he is not the only one who has been discriminated against at Regina General Hospital.
The province has launched a review of the workplace culture among doctors at hospitals in Regina after 11 doctors — all trained in Africa or East Asia — reported racism and discrimination from hospital leadership.
In November 2023, the doctors filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, alleging management gave sought-after teaching shifts exclusively to white doctors.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill provided few specifics when the province's review was announced, but confirmed there had been allegations of racism.
The review, set to be carried out by two "highly respected, experienced medical leaders" from outside Saskatchewan, is still underway, according to the Ministry of Health.
"That work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025," the ministry said in a statement.
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