A Melbourne man who posed as a gynaecologist and fertility doctor will face court at the end of the month after it was revealed he was never registered to practice in Australia.
Raffaele Di Paolo, through his company, Artemedica, was “holding himself out” as an obstetrician and gynaecologist with expertise in IVF, a statement from the Medical Board of Australia said.
After receiving a complaint against Di Paolo, the board and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency found he was unregistered and began legal action against him.
A board spokeswoman told Guardian Australia on Wednesday that because of the legal proceedings, she could not comment on whether Di Paolo had received medical qualifications overseas.
Di Paolo has presented his work at medical conferences and alternative medicine events, and is a proponent of the debunked field of homeopathy.
In his biography for an annual Australian conference for “bioregulatory medicine” – a field closely associated with homeopathy – Di Paolo was described as a fertility specialist.
“Italian-born Dr Di Paolo completed his undergrad studies in Australia,” his profile read. “Post grad studies in philosophy and social sciences at La Sorbonne (Paris) embraced his passion for homeopathy. He returned to Australia in 2000 where he now applies Bioregulatory Medicine to non-obstructive infertility.”
The profile said Di Paolo was a follower of Jacques Jouanny, an author of homeopathy books.
Fairfax Media reported that Di Paolo appeared to have been working for at least a decade in Melbourne, despite never being authorised to practise.
A person must be listed on the register of practitioners to practise in Australia.
The chairwoman of the Medical Board of Australia, Dr Joanna Flynn, said the board was taking the matter to court to protect patients.
“Our job is to manage risk to patients, including by making sure that only practitioners who have the qualifications and skills to provide safe care are registered to practise,” she said.
“Patients have a right to expect that someone who is purporting to be a gynaecologist or obstetrician with expertise in IVF has the necessary academic and professional qualifications to support that claim.”
The case is scheduled for hearing in the Melbourne magistrates’ court on 30 March.
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