Dr. Bobby (Bob) Rishiraj is registered with the College of Dental Surgeons (CDSBC) as a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He also owns and operates Kamloops Oral Surgery and Implant Centre (the facility).
Background
In April 2019, CDSBC’s Sedation and General Anesthesia Services Committee advised CDSBC that deficiencies were identified during an inspection of the facility, resulting in a short-notice, on-site inspection by a qualified team from the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
In June 2019, CDSBC accepted Dr. Rishiraj’s undertaking that he would not provide any level of sedation and none would be provided in the facility until the matter was resolved.
Following an investigation, the Inquiry Committee (which oversees investigations) directed the Registrar to issue a citation against Dr. Rishiraj. A discipline hearing in Vancouver had been scheduled for February 2022 but was cancelled when Dr. Rishiraj made admissions and proposed a resolution under section 37.1 of the Health Professions Act, which included his voluntary, permanent agreement to not provide any level of sedation services at any dental facility in BC.
Dr. Rishiraj was previously disciplined in 2015.
Admissions
Dr. Rishiraj has admitted to professional misconduct in that he provided sedation services at the facility when it was not operating in compliance with CDSBC’s standards and guidelines. Additionally, he failed to:
- adequately maintain sedation records for his patients, and perform and record required pre-operative assessments or record the patient’s level of consciousness
- adequately maintain the medication and equipment in the facility’s emergency mobile cart
- ensure the facility staff that assisted with moderate sedation were appropriately qualified and/or trained to do so
- conduct mock emergency drills as required
- adequately store and log restricted drugs
Resolution
A panel of the Inquiry Committee received and considered Dr. Rishiraj’s proposal. In accepting the proposal, the Inquiry Committee issued an order (PDF) on October 25, 2021. The order states that the facility may only provide sedation services if it complies with sedation standards, and a qualified registrant of CDSBC or CPSBC acts as facility director and performs clinical directorship responsibilities. The order further states that Dr. Rishiraj:
- is permanently prohibited from:
- providing any level of sedation services in any dental facility in BC; this practice limitation will appear on CDSBC’s online public register (Registrant Lookup)
- acting as the operator or director of Kamloops Oral Surgery and Implant Centre, or any other non-hospital facility which provides sedation
- being involved in management/directorship of the facility relating to sedation services or standards
- may continue to act as operator or director of the facility, but only in relation to non-sedation issues
- include a statement on the facility’s website, and on informed consent documents given to patients, providing the name of the facility director and/or clinical director
- provide a list of all facility staff to CDSBC, and update CDSBC when changes occur
- pay a fine of $25,000
- pay $4,000 to CDSBC towards the costs of the investigation
- is reprimanded
This resolves the disciplinary proceeding.
This is a summary of the consent order approved by the Inquiry Committee on October 25, 2021. Full details are available in the consent order package (PDF).