OMG, This is terrible news.
Dr. Katakkar is one of the best oncologists I’ve ever had the chance to meet.
This is definitely a sad day for Prince George. I don’t believe for one minute that the unapproved therapy that is suggested here, was in anyway bad for his patient.
When it comes to Cancer wouldn’t a person be willing to try almost anything, to try to live another day, month, or year. I am saddened and appalled at the news of his leaving.

Probably woke up one morning & realized he was living in Prince George.

The BC Cancer agency is its own political enity and one does not dare step out of bounds.

Wonder what a “Northern Health Communications Director” makes.

Could that money be used to activate more beds?

Also wonder who ratted him out?

The truth probably is that last pot hole he drove into was the tipping point.

The notion that a medical professional is limited to using only “approved therapy” to treat a patient is an interesting one.

Here we are saying we will build a 10 storey wood structure building which does not meet building code, has never been built anywhere else in Canada, can put more than just one person’s life in jeopardy if the theory proves to be wrong … so who approves the building mehod for that particular application if not the engineer who puts his/her stamp on it? There is no guide book with time tested methods for such a case. There is no “approved procedure” by the engineering profession for that application.

In fact, in the case of engineers they have considerable leeway in applying professional practices as they deem appropriate

Looks like after all his education/training this poor doctor is a mere technician applying predetermined methodology.

PG: “Also wonder who ratted him out?”

What possible difference does that make?

why are you people that knock pg, here?

Cancer? Still just radiation burnings, unhealthy chemical cocktails, bald pates for a while, and plain old stand alone centuries old surgery? All the money raised over the last twenty years or more and we haven’t even refined these three “cures?” Carry on.

PG: “Also wonder who ratted him out?”

What possible difference does that make?

Well, if it was the patient, i’d be surprised. As someone who has had family die from cancer I know they would have been desperate to try something other than chemo or radiation.

The hospital is no different than any other workplace. People are looking to advance their careers. That’s why I’m wondering who said what.

why are you people that knock pg, here?

This is not about PG, the BC Cancer Agency is a politcal power only answerable to themselves.

“Looks like after all his education/training this poor doctor is a mere technician applying predetermined methodology”

Having some experience with this, yes, when it comes to cancer treatment in BC, everything is directed by the BC Cancer Agency. The docs in PG do what the BC Cancer Agency tells or allows them to do.

This has some benefit as it does ensure that certain standards are met, that proper methods of treatment are followed, etc.

The downfall is that if there are treatments out there that are not approved, by the BC Cancer Agency (even though those same treatments may be administered in other “modern” jurisdictions), they may not be permitted. I say may because it could be possible if other hoops were jumped through and/or there were clinical trials going on that patients could choose to be part of.

I just hope that the doc wasn’t caught up in a bureaucratic situation. He did seem like a good doc when I interacted with him, but that was a while back now and it was only once.

Hard to attract and retain good doctors in PG and and throughout northern BC, even harder when it comes to specialists, e.g., oncologists, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ortho Surgeons, Neurologists, Anasthesilogists, Neuroseurgeons and the list goes on…..surely codes of practice and ethics would have been covered during the interview and prior to hiring him.

Hope BC Cancer Agency finds a decent replacement, Dr. Katakkar came with high credentials….hopefully polictics and bureaucracy are not at play here.

“…that he had used an “unapproved therapy” to treat a patient.”

That therapy may have been one that is in fact approved in another province and perhaps even in Arizona. The filing of a complaint must have been done by another professional who is much more familiar what is allowed in B.C. and what is not. A patient depends on the experts, a patient usually does not know what the allowed therapies are. Hopefully the whole thing can be cleared up and then life goes on.

I get ihem t if I don’t write what you want to post my comments will continue to be deleted. I have tried 4 times to post our story. It just keeps deleting my rmarks and I am not saying anything defamatory. I can see there is no point in telling our story about my sisters treatment in PGRH. I will say that the only Doctor that cared about saving her is Dr.Katacar she would not be alive today if it weren’t for him. The doctor she was seeing told her to accept that she was going to die and surgery wasn’t an option. I wrote a letter saying I would enlist the entire aboriginal nation after them and she would have the surgery. She did and had we left her in that first doctors care we would have buried her 5 months after her diagnosis. He is a very judgemental man and should never be permitted to practice. God help you if you,drink, smoke or have any issues that he feels you brought upon yourself he will put your name in the file folder for CULLING. We should all be dogs we would get treated with humaness and RESPECT. I know Dr.Katacar is a man of integrity and he really wants to cure his patients, however the Canadian Beaurocracy won’t allow it. I speak from experience I already dealt with the beaurocracy letting my 4 year old grandaughter die of cancer. May everyone involved in keeping people from being cured suffer the most horrific, painful deaths imaginalble.

Posted by: Bettsy on July 5 2012 11:46 PM
I get ihem t if I don’t write what you want to post my comments will continue to be deleted. I have tried 4 times to post our story. It just keeps deleting my rmarks and I am not saying anything defamatory. I can see there is no point in telling our story about my sisters treatment in PGRH. I will say that the only Doctor that cared about saving her is Dr.Katacar she would not be alive today if it weren’t for him. The doctor she was seeing told her to accept that she was going to die and surgery wasn’t an option. I wrote a letter saying I would enlist the entire aboriginal nation after them and she would have the surgery. She did and had we left her in that first doctors care we would have buried her 5 months after her diagnosis. He is a very judgemental man and should never be permitted to practice. God help you if you,drink, smoke or have any issues that he feels you brought upon yourself he will put your name in the file folder for CULLING. We should all be dogs we would get treated with humaness and RESPECT. I know Dr.Katacar is a man of integrity and he really wants to cure his patients, however the Canadian Beaurocracy won’t allow it. I speak from experience I already dealt with the beaurocracy letting my 4 year old grandaughter die of cancer. May everyone involved in keeping people from being cured suffer the most horrific, painful deaths imaginalble.

I read your story Betsy. My mother died from cancer, Dr Kattakar was fantastic to her. I really wish i would have pushed more after we were told that there was no chance of surgery. Kills me thinking about it.

All the best to you and your sister. God bless.

Dr. Kattakar wasn’t my mom’s Dr. He was the attending one night in er. From my experience, a good man.

I do not know Dr. Kattakar, but I do know that my Aunt is alive almost 10 years later after being told to go home and sort out her affairs because there was nothing else they could do for her. So she and her husband sought out private alternative treatment for 1000’s and 1000’s and 1000’s and 1000’s of ongoing dollars and she is still here. No money or almost no house left but she is here.

sounds like jealousy and politics?

of course the citizens of Prince George lose big time here!

Dr. Kattakar is fabulous and caring, the story is slighted to give the appearance he did something horrendous? why!

not many specialists with his background and experience are willing to even come to a place called Prince George when they can be wooed by huge cities for big bucks.

the so called treatment is approved in many places and when their is no hope especially for younger people its always worth a try especially under the supervision of such a professional….many people travel out of country for non approved methods – BC Cancer Agency should be ashamed for this with hunt! and defamation.