CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Allegations of misconduct at Adena Regional Medical Center in southern Ohio continue to make headlines, and this time, it is a case of sexual assault by a primary care doctor. A patient reported to local law enforcement that while she was being examined by her primary care physician this week, Dr. Collins Okolie he sexually assaulted her.
According to a police report obtained by The Guardian, the victim stated that Dr. Okolie “used his stethoscope to check her heart when he suddenly grabbed her breast and moved her clothing to do so.” The doctor then allegedly began moving his hand up towards her upper thigh and made inappropriate comments about her breasts. Shocked and scared, the victim immediately left the appointment and went to the Sheriff’s Office to report the incident. She said while on her way out she told nurses, who informed her to report the incident.
The authorities have taken the case seriously and turned it over to the detective division of the Ross County Sheriff’s Office. The allegations of sexual misconduct by doctors at Adena is just one of several recent reports. Members of the community have said that recent incidents have raised “serious concerns about the safety of patients and staff at Adena Health System, and the need for more rigorous screening of medical professionals.”
The Guardian reported earlier this month on accusations against Dr. Gustavo Barrazueta. In a police report, a former employee accused Barrazueta of sending her sexually explicit text messages and grabbing her around the waist without her consent. A second report was filed by another patient against Barrazueta for similar claims.
In a separate police report earlier this month, a former employee accused Neurologist Dr. Alok Singla of stalking her and sexual misconduct. The reportee told law enforcement that Singla allegedly cornered her in an office and began undressing.
“(Dr. Singla) sat down at his desk and unbuttoned his lab coat, his shirt was unbuttoned almost all the way down,” the woman told police. She would go on to claim that the doctor then said they had a lot in common and that both were “going through a divorce” and could “help each other.”
The victim went on to tell the police, according to the report, that the doctor would continue to make unwanted advances and went as far as coming from behind her and rubbing her shoulders and taking pictures of her body. The alleged incidents, the woman said, occurred while she worked in his office from September 2021 to April 2022.
It is important to note that the women who have come forward in recent weeks about sexual assault from doctors at the mega health system say their claims are serious. While law enforcement continue to investigate the reports, it is worth nothing that filing a false police report is a crime and that the women hold steadfast that what happened to them truly did occur and that they will continue to work with detectives to investigate.
The hospital administration has not released a statement about the allegations, and it remains to be seen how they will handle the matters. In the previous incidents, public relations officials with the health system said they do not talk about internal employment matters.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, confidential, free help is available by calling 800-656-HOPE (4673).