Quebec’s College of Physicians is expected to present an injunction Monday against a West Island osteopath and naturopath who it says is practising medicine illegally and misrepresenting his credentials.
A lawyer for the college confirmed that 12 charges will be brought against Ken Montizambert, who runs the Tri-Med clinic on Boulevard St-Jean in Pointe-Claire.
The charges include practising medicine illegally and misappropriation of title.
The charges stem from an undercover investigation conducted by the college that alleges Montizambert presented himself as a specialist in neurology, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and memory issues.
A report by the college investigator says Montizambert conducts blood tests, prescribes medication and even claims to be the only specialist in Montreal to offer a prostate exam that doesn’t require the patient to remove his trousers.
During the investigation, Montizambert reportedly placed a cushion on his thighs and had the investigator place his hands on the cushion and hold a brass bar in his left hand that was wired to a laptop computer.
He then touched various points on the investigator’s right hand with a pen.
Those various points represented different organs, Montizambert told the investigator, and the procedure led him to diagnose an allergy to dust and mildew.
Montizambert also prescribed medication for cleansing the liver.
The test cost $180.
On a later visit, Montizambert offered to conduct a blood test in the clinic for $495.
Denies charges
This is not the first time that Montizambert has faced charges from Quebec's College of Physicians; in 2002 he was found guilty of practising medicine illegally.
Montizambert spoke off-camera to CBC News about the new charges and maintained that he’s licensed to perform all the procedures that he does at his clinic.
The test with the brass bar and laptop is called electro dermal screening and analyzes acupuncture points in the hands.
Thousands of clinics across Canada perform the procedure, he said.
Montizambert attributes the College of Physicians’ investigation to an erroneous listing on a US website that called him a medical practitioner.
He said osteopaths in the United States are considered medical practitioners, but not in Canada — and he asked for the listing to be changed.
CBC News also spoke off-camera to a number of patients as they left Montizambert’s office.
One woman, who said she's been seeing Montizambert for close to 10 years, said he’s never claimed expertise beyond osteopathy and naturopathy.
Montizambert told CBC News that he plans to fight the College of Physician charges.
He will disclose more details about the case after he appears in court to face the charges on Monday.