Thornhill doctors allegedly issue false COVID-19 vaccine documentation, now under investigation

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 20, 2021

We’ve heard about fake mask exemptions and fake vaccine certificates; now there’s a new concern about false information being inputted into the official COVAX vaccine management system.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is investigating complaints against two doctors at a Thornhill medical clinic who are alleged to have gone against public health COVID-19 guidelines, including allegations of issuing fraudulent vaccine documentation.

Inspectors from the College entered the medical clinic Thursday morning, Dec. 15, to search for and potentially seize documents.

Shae Greenfield, CPSO spokesperson, confirmed the College is formally investigating the practice of Dr. Yves Petcho and Dr. Kenneth McAlister at the Pegasus Medical Clinic.

A spokesperson for the Region of York has also confirmed that an investigation by the region’s Public Health is underway. Details were not disclosed.

Pegasus is located in Hesperus Village, a housing complex for older adults that shares a campus with Toronto Waldorf School near Bathurst Street and Rutherford Road.

Complaints filed with the CPSO describe the culture in the medical clinic as “toxic, unsafe, unethical and dishonest.”

Multiple sources familiar with the process say the complaints being investigated by the CPSO include allegations the doctors inputted false vaccination documents into the COVAX system, provided misinformation regarding pandemic protocol and COVID-19 vaccines, falsely provided mask and COVID-19 vaccine exemption letters, entered false information into patients charts, did not wear appropriate PPE during in-office visits with patients, encouraged patients to remove masks during office visits, signed a petition to go against CPSO COVID-19 guidelines, prescribed ivermectin prophylactically and for COVID-19 infections and did not ask patients to get PCR tests when they had obvious symptoms of COVID-19.

Dr. McAlister is alleged by the complainants to have asked his office manager to falsely record administration of the COVID-19 vaccination into the COVAX system for two patients who allegedly did not receive the vaccine.

Dr. Petcho is also accused by the complainants of sending “conspiracy theory emails” and attending local “freedom” rallies, and he is alleged to have left the Oak Ridges Urgent Care Centre because he was not vaccinated.

The doctors did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Greenfield said the College could not provide details of the ongoing investigation, but said allegations of fraudulent vaccine documentation are particularly concerning.

“Deliberately providing patients with inaccurate vaccine documentation or providing false documents to circumvent vaccination mandates could constitute significant misconduct. We take these matters very seriously and, wherever we become aware of allegations, we would take all appropriate steps to investigate.”

The Hesperus Village website describes Pegasus as a clinic with four family physicians and a number of therapists “working on deepening their practice of anthroposophically-extended medicine.”

Anthroposophic medicine is a form of alternative medicine developed by the Austrian founder of Waldorf education, Rudolf Steiner.

Sources closely involved with the clinic say the medical office is located across the hall from the residence of Dr. Christopher Hassell, another physician who drew fire in September for allegedly handing out fake vaccine exemptions at a Richmond Hill clinic.

Hassell has stepped away from his practice at York Medical Clinic on Yonge Street, according to Wayne Samuels, general manager of Medicentres Canada. Yorkregion.com has not been able to reach Hassell for comment.

The CPSO investigated Hassell and, on Nov. 5, forbade him from prescribing ivermectin and from providing exemptions in relation to COVID-19 vaccines, masking or testing.

In an emailed statement, the CPSO said evidence is clear that for the vast majority of patients, the available vaccines are safe and effective and remain the best tool to end the pandemic.

“We have made clear to physicians that we expect that any vaccine exemptions issued are based on valid medical criteria and are consistent with criteria established by the Ontario Ministry of Health. We have also taken steps to limit the opportunity for abuse by requiring that any exemptions detail a clear clinical rationale.”

The allegations of fraudulent vaccine documentation by physicians are “deeply disturbing,” said Dr. David Fisman, professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto.

When it became apparent that social media was circulating a link to forge fake vaccine certificates, the province enacted bar codes for added security, Fisman said, but the situation in Thornhill points to a more worrisome loophole -- the potential for what he calls “next-level forgery.”

“To have medical professionals … providing an additional route for people to get around those sorts of crude forgeries by just going to the back end of COVAX and entering false information, clearly that’s something that is damaging to the profession and damaging to the public health response,” he said.

“I think it's totally appropriate for the College to be concerned about this, not just in terms of immediate impact -- undermining whatever vaccine mandates the province chooses to pursue -- but also undermining trust in the medical profession …. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around; what are people thinking when they do things like this?”