Skip to content

LETTER: Health unit's conduct regarding Dr. Philip is 'shameful' anesthetist says

'I would and have trusted him to look after my own family and me'
dental care dentist teethshutterstock_373410019 2016
File photo

OrilliaMatters has received the following letter to the editor from Rob Milkovich in defence of Orillia dentist Dr. Joe Philip, after the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit deemed he was guilty of "deficient cleaning and sterilization” practices at his Wyandotte Street clinic that may have put patients at risk of hepatitis and HIV.
*************************
I am an anesthetist that has worked with Dr. Joe Philip closely over the past 12 years. I worked with him in many locations including his office in Oriliia which has come under much negative publicity of late.

I would like to echo many of the sentiments expressed by other physician, dental, and nursing colleagues in this publication that Dr. Philip is a conscientious practitioner of exemplary character and, in my observations, always applying best practice standards. I would and have trusted him to look after my own family and me.

It is shameful in my opinion that his good name is being dragged through the mud for political purposes. His past, current, and future patients are being let down by the Public Health Unit by scaring them unnecessarily.

To highlight the hypocrisy of all of this nonsense, the Public Health Unit on one hand was criticizing Dr. Philip’s instrument processing and insisting patients be tested for blood borne illnesses while at the same time they continued to refer the most vulnerable of patients under various social programs to him as he is one of the only ones in the area that services this group to such a degree.

So I pose the question to Public Health: Is Dr. Philip’s shoddy infection control deemed reasonable only for the underserviced you continued to refer to him but not for the rest of the community? There is an awful contradiction here which Public Health needs to explain.

I myself will continue to work with Dr. Philip and continue to service his privileged and underprivileged clients equally with the same safe standards he always has offered.

Dr. Rob Milkovich

*************************