A doctor hid behind medical treatment to sexually abuse his patients, including a heavily pregnant woman, at a practice in Bunbury, south of Perth, a court has heard.
Ranjit Kumar Panda, 59, is facing 25 charges relating to 10 female patients he treated between January and August 2012 at the Forrest Family Practice.
The District Court was told the women had gone to the practice to be treated for a range of ailments, including eczema on the face, a sore knee and urinary tract infections.
One woman was eight months pregnant and testified Dr Panda indecently touched her when she had gone to the practice to check the progress of her baby.
The court heard another woman had regularly gone to Dr Panda to get a narcotic pain reliever, and on one visit he was alleged to have told her she would not get her prescription unless she did what he wanted her to do.
“Dr Panda had a tendency to take advantage of his position as a general practitioner to offend against these women,” prosecutor Linda Keane said.
Ms Keane said expert evidence would be called to show that what happened to the women were “not appropriate” medical examinations.
“Dr Panda was able to hide behind medical treatment to sexually assault these women,” she said.
Dr Panda denies any wrongdoing.
Other doctors ‘jealous of Dr Panda’s success’
His barrister, Simon Watters, said Dr Panda was an extremely busy GP who bulk-billed, and over the time of the alleged offences had conducted more than 13,500 consultations with 10,000 separate patients.
Mr Watters claimed “other doctors at the practice were jealous of Dr Panda’s success”.
He also told the court some of Dr Panda’s patients had mental health problems, while others were linked through social media, or their parents or boyfriends were friends.
The trial is set down for two weeks.