Kavita Algu, a palliative care physician at Mount Sinai Hospital for nearly 10 years, resigned from her position following months of department polarization sparked by her public advocacy regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, according to internal reports, meeting notes, emails, and interviews obtained by the Star.
The March 2024 Rally and Public Advocacy
In March 2024, Algu joined a rally protesting Israel’s bombing of hospitals in Gaza that had killed patients and staff alike. Speaking to the assembled crowd, she stated, “It is our ethical duty to speak out against the genocide being committed against the Palestinian people,” as reported by the Star. Algu noted that she was born in apartheid South Africa, stating that her family were lesser humans under the law. She authored an open letter calling on the Canadian government to help broker a ceasefire and support access to medical aid, which garnered more than 950 cosignatories, including five doctors on her hospital unit. Around the same time, a few doctors from the department—including Algu’s supervisor—signed a separate open letter asserting that accusing Israel of apartheid or genocide was untruthful and antisemitic.
Department Discord and the January Meeting
Internal documents reveal that distrust and suspicion spread rapidly through Sinai’s palliative care unit following the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent military assault in Gaza. On January 10, a group of doctors raised concerns with leadership regarding Jewish pain not being recognized in colleagues’ public advocacy for Palestinians, according to internal records. In response, an administrator invited Algu and five other doctors to a meeting to discuss local impacts and safety. Three doctors declined, with one emailing their boss that their political opinions were not relevant to their clinical practice. At the meeting with Algu and two colleagues, attendees were told that an op-ed authored by Algu had made colleagues feel unsafe and unable to focus on work. All three attendees subsequently filed discrimination complaints against Sinai Health, alleging reprisals after the meeting.
Workplace Investigations and Assessment Findings
Sinai Health retained the law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt, which hired workplace investigator Gillian Shearer to examine the complaints and conduct a workplace environment assessment. The investigation into the discrimination complaints concluded they were unsubstantiated, finding no evidence of an effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices or a poisoned work environment. Shearer also concluded that the nonrenewal of two participating physicians’ contracts was driven by funding constraints and overstaffing. However, a separate workplace assessment concluded that department leaders failed to communicate clear expectations and boundaries.
Did You Know?
Before her resignation, Kavita Algu was part of a small team at Mount Sinai Hospital that successfully applied for government funding to establish a palliative care program dedicated to Indigenous patients.
Social Media Conduct and External Professional Dispute
In June 2024, palliative care colleague Hershl Berman posted on X featuring a screenshot of an earlier tweet by Algu demanding that the University of Toronto stop investing in companies profiting off what the International Court of Justice deemed a plausible risk of harm. Berman’s caption called out a “loud racist minority” of doctors.
Expert Insight:
Resignation and Disciplinary Threats
In Sinai’s palliative department, some colleagues were reportedly not even making eye contact with each other. There was a sense of heartbreak at watching the unit, once described as a family, fracture. Algu, meanwhile, says she was never told specifically what she did wrong. She has concerns that her complaint about a colleague’s post calling her racist was dismissed, and she ultimately felt she had no choice but to leave a career she had spent years building. A Sinai spokesperson stated that the hospital is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and professional workplace while ensuring patient care remains the top priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Dr. Kavita Algu leave Mount Sinai Hospital?
Algu resigned after nearly 10 years as a palliative care doctor following department polarization over her public advocacy regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, feeling she was unfairly targeted by management for her Palestinian advocacy and concluding she had no choice but to leave.
What did the workplace investigations conclude regarding the complaints?
The investigation into discrimination complaints filed by Algu and two colleagues found their claims unsubstantiated, concluding that contract nonrenewals were due to funding constraints and overstaffing rather than reprisal. However, a separate workplace assessment found that unit leaders failed to communicate clear boundaries during the geopolitical crisis.
How did Sinai Health respond to social media disputes among doctors?
Sinai Health retained outside legal counsel and investigators to assess workplace culture and complaints.
How should healthcare institutions balance the personal out-of-work advocacy of medical professionals with the need to maintain cohesive, neutral clinical environments?