The previous suspension came because of an October 2005 incident when Duma was an on-call physician at a hospital in northern Kentucky.
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In the Kentucky case, court records say that after inducing labor on a patient to begin childbirth, Duma left the hospital and drank vodka at a nearby park, then returned to deliver the baby. Medical board records say he consumed half a bottle of vodka.
After the delivery, the patient’s mother complained that Duma smelled of alcohol and he was sent for a blood test that found a blood-alcohol level of .27, court records say.
Both the baby and mother suffered labor-related injuries, though Duma denied the injuries were a result of his intoxication. The family sued Duma and was awarded $2.5 million by a jury in Kentucky circuit court.
His license was suspended in 2006 in both Kentucky and Ohio, where he practiced in the Cincinnati area. The Ohio medical board reinstated him in 2007 with conditions including that he attend rehab and stay sober.
Medical board records don’t list where, if anywhere, he currently practices medicine in Ohio.
This news organization reached out to Duma through his listed number and an attorney who previously represented him, and he did not respond with any comment.
On Nov. 3, 2017 Mason police pulled Duma over because he was swerving and his registration matched a report of a possible drunk driver, according the Mason police report. The report says Duma failed a field sobriety test and was arrested, after which the officer found an empty bottle of vodka in the front passenger seat.
A breathalyzer test placed his blood alcohol level at .231. The legal limit to drive in Ohio is .08.
Duma admitted to the Ohio Medical Board that his relapse started in October 2017, when he drank half a pint of vodka, and ended with the arrest, according to a consent agreement Duma entered into with the board in January.
“Dr. Duma asserts that this is his first and only relapse,” the agreement says. “Dr. Duma further states that prior to this relapse he had been sober since completing inpatient treatment… in August 2006.”
The consent agreement says Duma can apply for reinstatement of his license after 90 days if he meets specified conditions including demonstrating completion of a substance abuse program.
Medical board officials said they can’t comment on specific cases beyond what’s in the consent agreement.
State records show drug and alcohol abuse problems are a major driver for board action against licenses. In fiscal year 2017, the board took action against the licenses of 165 medical professionals; 28 percent were for impairment issues.
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