In a report dated March 28, hearing examiner Danielle Blue wrote, “There is no dispute that Dr. Aggarwal abused his position of trust with (the patients) by engaging in predatory behavior to satisfy some prurient need. Because of his predatory behavior, Dr. Aggarwal has forfeited his right to practice medicine in Ohio.”
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Several administrators at Children’s, along with Aggarwal and the two patients — who are identified as Patient 1 and Patient 2 in the report — testified at a board hearing in February.
The full board could rule on Aggarwal’s license in April or May.
Aggarwal testified that he hasn’t worked since he was suspended during the investigation in mid-2015. A native of India, he told the board he could be forced to leave the country if he is unable to find employment.
Aggarwal came to Children’s in 2013 as a pediatric gastroenterologist. He disputed the allegations against him at various points during his testimony, but also made conflicting statements, according to Blue, who found his explanations “illogical.”
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“Dr. Aggarwal was insincere and had selective memory,” she wrote. “Upon consideration of the evidence, including Dr. Aggarwal’s tone and demeanor, the Hearing Examiner hereby finds that Dr. Aggarwal was untruthful.”
Patient 1 in the report was 15 and suffering from Crohn’s disease when Aggarwal examined her in December 2013. She said he touched her breasts during an exam when her mother was out of the room. It came to the hospital’s attention in January 2014 when the mother called to schedule an appointment and requested a different doctor.
The mother said during the hearing that she confronted Aggarwal about what had happened and he apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again.
Patient 2 was 17 when she first became a patient of Aggarwal’s in February 2014, suffering from severe abdominal pain. In her testimony, she said Aggarwal asked her to remove her shirt and bra after she told him about a scar on her chest. She said he then squeezed my “nipples pretty hard and that’s when I kind of felt uncomfortable.”
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In the hearing, Aggarwal was asked whether he believed Patient 1 and Patient 2 were incorrect in recalling what occurred.
“I believe they perceive things in a different way than what happened,” he testified, claiming that everything he did was medically justified.
An investigation by Dayton Police concluded last year with no charges filed against Aggarwal. He has a lawsuit pending against Wright State for wrongful termination.
The medical board report includes a letter of support for Aggarwal from Daniel Shover, a former colleage at Dayton Children’s.
“I firmly believe that the alleged conduct is entirely inconsistent with my estimation of Dr. Aggarwal’s professional and personal character,” he wrote.
STORIES FROM OUR YEAR-LONG SERIES:
LICENSE REVOKED:Doctor's license revoked after accusations of improper touching
SUSPENSION:Doctor: Medical board 'overreacted' in suspension
HUBER HEIGHTS:Doctor accused of sexual advances toward 13 patients
PRACTICING AGAIN:Dayton doctor suspended for two years allowed to practice again
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