Saskatchewan's College of Physicians and surgeons have given a temporary suspension to a married couple practicing medicine in Estevan, Sask., after they were caught lying to authorities.

Dr. Ahmed Belal and Dr. Hanan Abou el Yazid pleaded guilty to unprofessional conduct last month. They lied to Alberta Health Services while they were also entered into a program to assess international doctors looking to work in Saskatchewan.

"The college is quite concerned about dishonesty and integrity," said college associate registrar Bryan Salte. "They'd been untruthful both to the former employer and also to the college when the college inquired about what had happened with their former employer."

According to documents supplied by the college, the doctors applied to the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment Program (SIPPA) in 2018.

At the same time, both doctors were also employed as clinical assistants with Alberta Health Services.

Shortly after entering into the program in Saskatchewan, both doctors asked Alberta Health Services to be put on leave. Dr. Belal said he needed to travel to Egypt to care for his sick mother, while Dr. Yazid said she had been in a car accident in Egypt and was in hospital.

Neither story was true.

Dr. Yazid also told Alberta Health Services she had a physical injury and was suffering from PTSD from her non-existant accident and submitted a medical document signed by a doctor that was untruthful.

She also told her employer she wasn't sure if she would be taking a position in the Saskatchewan program, more than a month after she had entered it.

The college said Dr. Belal would not have been able to access leave to apply to the Saskatchewan program, due to the demands of the Alberta healthcare system.

There was some payment made to Dr. Yazid by Alberta Health Services, as she was on sick leave, that has since been repaid.

Both doctors received a one-month suspension from the college that will begin later this month. They were also given a formal written reprimand and fined more than $5,000 to cover the costs of the investigation.

The college said both doctors had entered into mediation with Alberta Health Services and the matter has been resolved.

Both were also ordered to take a medical ethics program.

Dr. Belal and Dr. Yazid are still entered into the SIPPA program. Once the program is completed, a determination on whether they be allowed to gain full status will be made.

Calls to the couple were not immediately returned.