A St. Albert pediatrician is facing charges of sexual assault of a child stemming from 2015.
CBC reported last week that Dr. Ramneek Mohinder Kumar has been charged with sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, who was not a patient of his.
The alleged incident took place during a family holiday to Wateron Lakes National Park.
The pediatrician is also facing two charges of sexual interference involving a person under the age of 16.
Kumar worked at the Rivercrest Medical Clinic in St. Albert. The clinic released a statement Wednesday morning noting Kumar tendered his resignation the morning of April 2 and had not practiced at the clinic since March 20.
The clinic said it had not been informed of the charges laid against Kumar by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) or the RCMP.
"We heard about it like everyone else did, on the news on Friday night, March 29th. We were all very shocked," the statement reads.
"Making sure that Dr. Kumar's pediatric patients are cared for is our top priority, and this will continue to be our top priority through the weeks ahead. We are currently calling the families that have future bookings with Dr. Kumar, and offering them an appointment with one of our family doctors ... for either ongoing care or a referral to a new pediatrician. We are also attempting to find a pediatrician that can see patients in our clinic on a temporary (or hopefully permanent) basis."
The clinic said its receptionists have been yelled and and berated in-person and on the phone for Kumar's situation.
"We would implore you to please be kind to our staff; we are doing our best to deal with the situation at hand."
Kumar was taken into custody in the Edmonton area on March 27.
Last Wednesday, a Pincher Creek judge granted him bail, with one of the conditions being that he not be in the presence of anyone under the age of 16.
Kumar is scheduled to make his next court appearance on April 16 in Pincher Creek.
The CPSA said in a news release Tuesday Kumar has agreed to a condition that requires him to have an independent chaperone for all patients he sees.
"The condition ... provides practice oversight to ensure patient safety during the RCMP and CPSA investigations," the college noted.
Kumar has not voluntarily withdrawn from practice. The college said CPSA registrar Dr. Scott McLeod is considering further practice restrictions, which could include suspension.
