ex-Special Forces Doctor Stripped of License After Inappropriate Relationship with Patient
Sydney, Australia – A former Australian Army commando, turned doctor, has had his medical registration cancelled following a shocking sex scandal involving a patient at his surgery. Dr. Alex Golowenko, 52, admitted to a sexual relationship with a patient, attributing his actions to the effects of severe PTSD and a need for “thrills.”
Golowenko served as a commando in a special forces unit of the Australian Defense Force from 2003 to 2013, experiencing ”hazardous and traumatic circumstances” during his active service. Following his military career, he pursued medicine.
the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) examination revealed Golowenko engaged in an unethical and unprofessional relationship with the patient, who felt “increasingly stressed…that her life was spiralling out of control.” While the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) initially declined to suspend Golowenko, they imposed “stringent conditions” on his practice the following month.
Golowenko acknowledged his transgressions and admitted his registration should be suspended, requesting a shorter suspension period than the two to three years proposed by the HCCC.The Commission noted his admission demonstrated “insight and contrition.” However,a review panel of doctors found his actions to be “flagrant and deplorable violations.”
During questioning, Golowenko cited “severe PTSD and burnout” resulting in “hypervigilance and hyperarousal,” leading to “a PTSD risk-taking, adrenalin-seeking component.” He confessed to being “in love” with the patient, acknowledging a power imbalance but claiming a “very strong connection.”
“Honestly, I was in love with (the patient). I felt there was a future together,” he told investigators. “This was exciting, and adrenaline based which now I know was just fuelling the PTSD demon which was giving me an outlet for something that had been going on for, as my service in Afghanistan in 2008, 2009.”
The HCCC has now cancelled Golowenko’s registration for six months, with a review scheduled for mid-April. The case highlights the complex challenges faced by veterans transitioning to civilian life and the critical need for ethical boundaries within the medical profession.
