DR VARAHA VIJAYA NAGESWARA KONATHALA SUSPENDED IN GANTS HILL AFTER ALLEGED INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT

Dr. Varaha Vijaya Nageswara Konathala, a general practitioner working at the Kenwood Medical Centre in Gants Hill, faced a serious professional setback when he was suspended from his medical duties for a period of one year. This disciplinary action followed a tribunal’s findings that he had engaged in inappropriate physical contact with a female patient during a consultation.

The incident in question involved allegations that Dr. Konathala had touched the woman’s breasts in a manner that was deemed to be sexual in nature. The tribunal’s investigation concluded that his actions crossed professional boundaries and constituted misconduct. Despite this, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) made a significant decision in February, allowing Dr. Konathala to resume his medical practice without restrictions. The tribunal’s rationale was based on their assessment that he no longer posed a risk to the public.

In their detailed review, the tribunal acknowledged that Dr. Konathala had reflected deeply on his behavior, demonstrated improvements, and proposed measures to prevent any recurrence of such incidents. They emphasized that his remorse and efforts at remediation contributed to their decision to lift restrictions on his practice.

The case initially came to public attention through allegations made in 2019 by a woman, referred to as Patient A. She recounted that during a consultation, Dr. Konathala claimed he needed to perform a general health check. She reported that he then began to lift her top, touching her back, chest, and breasts, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable and described her experience as “really creepy and strange.” She further explained that she felt numb and tried to make excuses to end the encounter, but was alarmed when he moved very close to her. The distress was so severe that she left the medical practice in tears. Subsequently, she reported the incident to the police; however, no further legal action was taken due to insufficient evidence.

Dr. Konathala has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that he did not examine her breasts, back, or chest, and that he did not touch her in the manner described. The tribunal, however, found parts of his testimony to be implausible, which contributed to their decision to suspend him for a year.

Following his suspension, Dr. Konathala engaged in reflection and took steps toward remediation. Evidence was presented indicating that he had gained insight into his misconduct and had implemented measures to prevent future incidents. The tribunal concluded that he had shown genuine improvement and posed a low risk of reoffending. As a result, they determined that his return to practice would not cause public harm and that his fitness to practice was no longer impaired.