Melfort doctor allegedly hit children, self-prescribed medication

A Melfort doctor is facing four charges from the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons, including unprofessional conduct, improper prescribing and dishonesty.

Two of the charges, which were filed on June 8, involve children.

According to the college, around February 3, 2019, Dr. Robert Steffan allegedly hit a nine-year-old child in the face “for disobeying a direction.”

A second charge, dated Feb. 23, 2023, indicates that a mother brought her eight-year-old child in to see Steffan for an appointment. The child was not co-operating and began to pull on a piece of medical equipment.

“At  which point you pulled Patient #1 off the clinic bed by his arms, and placed him on the ground,” the charge reads.

“You then picked Patient #1 up and spanked him across the buttocks area, then forcibly placed him back into the chair.”

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Bryan Salte, legal counsel for the college, said it was uncommon to get complaints about medical professionals allegedly using force on children.

“I don’t recall an incident in which a physician was charged with professional misconduct as a result of using force against a child,” Salte said.

“If it has occurred, it’s not immediately coming to my memory and it has not occurred for quite some number of years.”

He added that one the college is legally obligated to inform police if it believes a criminal offence has been committed.

“The college complied with all legislation and the police were notified,” Salte explained.

A third charge alleges that Steffan prescribed himself medication between 2019 and 2023, and a fourth charge alleges that Steffan provided a letter to the college containing false or misleading information as to the number of times, the reasons, and the types of medications he’d allegedly prescribed himself.

No hearing date has been set.

Salte said some physicians will admit that they’re guilty of professional misconduct fairly quickly after charges have been laid, in which case the matter is resolved with a penalty hearing.

In other cases it goes to a contested hearing before a discipline committee. Salte said that takes time to arrange, similar to the length of time to arrange for a criminal trial.

According to his physician profile, Steffan graduated with a medical degree from University of Orange Free State in South Africa in 1998, and completed postgraduate training in family medicine and anesthesia in Saskatchewan in 2010.

Because of the allegations that he physically assaulted a minor, Steffan has agreed not to have any in-person professional encounters in his practice with any patient under16, except in the presence of a practice monitor.