Dr. Arnold Nzale Nzali sanctioned for inappropriate conduct

Dr. Arnold Nzale Nzali, a family physician from Calgary, was sanctioned by a CPSA Hearing Tribunal after admitting to unprofessional conduct in relation to an interaction with an employee at his clinic while practising medicine in Medicine Hat in October 2019.

Dr. Nzali admitted to failing to maintain a professional relationship with the employee by asking her for a hug, holding the hug when he knew or should have known she wanted to be let go, initiating inappropriate contact over her clothing, telling her he wanted to be sexually intimate with her and requesting she touch him in an intimate manner.

Dr. Nzali was subsequently arrested and charged with sexual assault under the Criminal Code of Canada, and agreed to withdraw from practice thereafter. After the criminal charges were dismissed in 2023, Dr. Nzali returned to practice under specific conditions while CPSA’s internal investigation took place, including a restriction from working alone with female staff members in an enclosed space and requiring a chaperone be present for all encounters with female patients. These conditions have since been removed as they are no longer considered necessary to serve the public interest.

Dr. Nzali admitted to the inappropriate conduct and the Tribunal accepted his admission and a joint submission on sanction. Their orders include the following:

• Nzali is suspended for 12 months, which is considered served to account for the time from 2019 until 2023 when he was out of practice.
• At his own expense, Dr. Nzali must complete and unconditionally pass a course on ethics and boundaries.
• Nzali is responsible for a portion of the costs of the investigation and hearing, totalling $12,500.

The mandatory, minimum sanctions for sexual abuse or misconduct under the Health Professions Act do not apply in this case, as the complainant was not a patient.

Resources:

CPSA Hearing Tribunal decision