Nearly three dozen Toronto-area women who claim to have suffered physical injury at the hands of the same physician are calling for an end to medical secrecy in Ontario.

Some of the women, accompanied by lawyer Amani Oakley, claimed on Thursday if they had access to a record of physician mistakes and surgical complications, their suffering could have been avoided.

The complaints vary, but some allege their ovaries were removed without their consent; others said they have to rely on plastic bags to collect waste from their bladders and bowels after they were allegedly perforated by a Scarborough gynecologist.

As a result, Oakley has filed three lawsuits to date against Dr. Richard Austin and several other parties at Scarborough General Hospital for negligence. Oakley said her firm is considering a class-action lawsuit after 26 women contacted her firm.

One woman is seeking $250,000 in damages for claims that Austin did not inform her of alternative options to surgery or complications that could arise. Another woman is seeking $1 million in damages for claims her colon was sliced during surgery, causing her to depend on the use of a colostomy bag.

"All I really want is to see him suffer the way all of us here have suffered," Frances Burrows, a former patient who claims her bladder was sliced during a hysterectomy 17 years ago, said on Thursday at a media conference to draw attention to the issue.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

There are currently no active complaints filed against Austin with Ontario's College of Physicians and Surgeons, but between 1999 and 2006 seven formal complaints were made to the self-regulatory body against him.

Fourteen lawsuits were also launched against Austin for cases stemming as far back as 20 years, but none of the 26 women who have since come forward knew about the previous complaints.

"My body feels like a target practice where there is so much scarring outside and inside, just the emotional pain of going through something like this," former patient Jennifer Molnar said.

Systemic changes needed: lawyer

Oakley maintains there is a veil of secrecy surrounding doctors with a history of complaints in Ontario and the issue is much larger than the allegations against a single doctor.

"It's a little scary to think that someone goes in and does something as aggressive as internal abdominal surgery, as these women have all had, and you're not allowed to know what the person's track record is," Oakley said.

CTV Toronto tried to contact Austin in person on Thursday about the allegations, but he was unavailable for comment and did not respond to phone messages.

However, in a published statement, he said he would respond fully to any allegations against him in the proper forum and at the proper time.

In an effort to alleviate claims of medical secrecy, high-ranking provincial health official Dr. Alan Hudson announced earlier this week that hospitals will have to post unexpected deaths and infections in five key areas, alongside wait times, or forfeit additional government funding.

Health Minister George Smitherman said the government is looking into increasing patient access to information with Bill 171.

"We recognize that there have been some shortcomings and that's why we have a bill before the legislature right now,'' said Smitherman.

"I think it's fair to say that accountability reporting, transparency -- around the complication rates and things like that -- is part and parcel of such a (health) system.''

Complaints made about specific doctors are not made public by the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons and only one per cent of the complaints lodged result in disciplinary action.

Last year, the college received 2370 complaints with only 34 recommended for discipline.

The latest report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that nearly 5.2 million Canadians report that they, or a member of their family, have experienced a preventable adverse event while in hospital.

Hospital complication rates will begin to be posted in April of 2008 at www.ontariowaittimes.ca

With a report from CTV's John Musselman and files from the Canadian Press