Many individuals naturally feel apprehensive when undergoing significant medical procedures, typically fearing medical complications. However, a troubling case from New York has revealed an even more worrying danger, a pattern of alleged sexual abuse by an NYC gastroenterologist, Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng.
If true, these actions represent not just a violation of law and morality but also an abuse of the sacred trust we place in medical professionals. If you’ve experienced sexual abuse at the hands of a physician, the law firm of Console & Associates, P.C. can help you get justice. Call 866-778-5500 or fill out our online form and we’ll schedule a free consultation for you.
The American Medical Association (AMA) condemns the ethics of any sexual relationship between patients and doctors. These threaten to exploit the vulnerability inherent in the patient-doctor dynamic. However, some doctors deliberately exploit their power and control over patients to sexually abuse them. It’s impossible to know exactly how common such incidents are, as victims rarely come forward. Research indicates as few as 10% of victims of sexual abuse by doctors report their cases.
One of the only resources for determining the frequency of these instances is through physician self-disclosure. Somewhere in the range of 3-12% percent of male physicians self-report sexual contact with patients, as do 1-4% of female physicians. In contrast, only 7.1% of all sanctions that the Federation of State Medical Boards issued from 1994 to 2002 were for sexual misconduct.
We are here to help.
The issue of sexual abuse by physicians has come to light with a series of disturbing allegations toward an NYC hospital gastroenterologist. A 50-count indictment against Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng describes a predatory, consistent pattern of drugging and sexually abusing patients at the New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital and his home.
After one woman alleged that he raped her at home, two additional allegations of rape and many more cases of sexual abuse have come to light against him. There’s also evidence indicating the abuse of women in his hotel rooms or residences in New York, Nevada, California, and Thailand.
The Queens District Attorney’s office has also released a damning press release, stating that an investigation revealed electronic devices depicting Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng sexually abusing women at the hospital and his home. Many of the victims depicted remain unidentified.
These allegations have shaken the New York medical community to its core, and underline how vital transparency, accountability, and oversight in healthcare are. Besides the heinous conduct that Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng is facing indictment for, this may represent a failure of the hospital to adequately monitor its staff and protect its patients.
The dignity, safety, and welfare of patients are vital cornerstones of the medical system. However, Dr. Cheng’s former patients allege that he was empowered by a history of the hospital ignoring patient complaints. One woman claims that the hospital staff ignored her despite her reporting he injected her with an unknown substance and sexually assaulted her.
As a consequence, lawsuits surrounding this and other patterns of sexual abuse by physicians can target both the doctor and the hospital. While nothing can turn back the clock to before these women endured this trauma, they can nonetheless sue for a range of economic and non-economic damages:
The law firm of Console & Associates is dedicated to bringing justice to victims of sexual abuse. If a doctor has committed any sort of sexual misconduct against you, call 866-778-5500 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and find your next steps.
