Doctor in trouble for sleeping with patient in consulting room

A MARRIED doctor is in trouble with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for having steamy sex sessions in his consulting rooms with a patient.  Dr Nndanduleni Tseisi has however defended himself, claiming the woman "forced" herself on him.

Nndanduleni Tseisi of Louis Trichardt in Limpopo is charged with "unprofessional conduct in that during the period 2007 to 2010 [he] had a love relationship and had a sexual relationship with a patient in [his] consulting room," read the charge sheet in part.

Former patient Ntombizodwa Ndou is the complainant.

Count two on the charge sheet relates to Tseisi issuing a fraudulent "sick note" to Ndou on March 11 2010 without examining her.

The doctor pleaded guilty to the charges before the professional conduct committee of the HPCSA and described how he ended up impregnating Ndou.

"This lady used to force me to do things with her. She used to threaten me.

"She would come into my consulting room uninvited and say, 'do this to me or I will not leave' or she would threaten to scream.

"Sometimes I would just hug and kiss her and say 'I will see you after hours'. She cost me a lot. I had to compromise many things while trying to protect myself, my patients and my family," Tseisi said.

"My first contact with her was in the consulting room but she was not a patient then. She was still consulting other doctors. She became a patient later."

Tseisi had earlier told the committee of five members, assisted by a legal assessor, that he met Ndou at his newly acquired practice which he took over from another doctor.

He described how the woman would demand money from him and claimed she would throw a tantrum when he did not oblige.

Tseisi said the woman fell pregnant and gave birth in 2009. The relationship ended in July 2010.

The doctor claimed that on one occasion he bumped into Ndou at a local supermarket while he was with his family.

Tseisi claimed he had to call police after Ndou poured baby powder milk over his head and blocked his way.

He also claimed that he had to get a protection order against Ndou after she followed him to his wife's workplace where she confronted her. He claims that Ndou told his wife to "leave my man alone".

After listening to Tseisi's story, committee chairman Kevin O'Brien said there were contradictions in the doctor's version of when his relationship with the complainant started.

Advocate Meshack Mapholisa, who represented Ndou in her absence, asked for a postponement so that she could personally tell the committee how and when the sexual escapades in the doctor's consulting room started and ended.

Sowetan reports that the matter was subsequently postponed to September 10.