Officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Task Force located in Panadura Walana, yesterday (27) raided a medical center in Sarikkamulla in Keselwatta, Panadura run by a fake doctor
and arrested him and a woman who had been engaged in dispensing medicines to the patients.
The fake doctor who was arrested was identified as Mohammed Sameen (30).The Central Anti- Corruption Task Force said that they found various types of pharmaceuticals valued at more that Rs.10 million at the medical center. There had even been expired medications among them and preliminary investigations have revealed that they have been prescribed for patients as well.
During further investigations it has been revealed that this person’s mother’s brother had been a well-known doctor in Keselwatte. He had died a while back and this medical center had been run from a part of that doctor’s house, according to the Central Anti-Corruption Task Force. The doctor who died who was this fake doctor’s uncle had also had his dispensary in the same place.
When the suspect was questioned, he had said that he had studied and sat for the A Level examination from an international school in Havelock Town and that he had completed a medical degree at a university in China. He had said that although he had sat for the examination of the Medical Council here on several occasions in an attempt to get registered in this country, he had not been successful. This was mentioned by the Central Anti-Corruption Task Force.
This fake doctor had maintained this medical center using the number of registered doctor who had died a long time ago.
Based on information received by the director of the Central Anti-Corruption Task Force, Assistant Superintendent of Police Udaya Kumara regarding this medical center, the Officer-In- Charge Chief Inspector Indika Weerasinghe had deployed intelligence officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Task Force to find out more details. Several of these officers had gone to the medical center from time to time stating that they were suffering from various illnesses and obtained treatment. Two officers posing as a married couple had also visited the center. It had become apparent on these instances that this fake doctor had obtained Rs.2,000 from each patient and even issued medical certificates and that he had been issuing letters to laboratories to get patients’ blood and urine tested.
Subsequent to finding out all this information, the Panadura Medical Health Officer Eesha Samankumari had been informed and this medical center was raided yesterday afternoon with her assistance as well as that of Public Health Inspectors and Kalutara Food and Medicine Inspectors. Even at that time, a large number of patients were seen their waiting to obtain treatment.
When the girl who was giving out medicines was questioned, she had said that she was a nurse who had worked at a hospital. When she was questioned further based on a doubt that arose, she had said she was not a nurse but had worked at a pharmacy. Since a license is required to work as a pharmacist when she was asked about it, it was revealed that she had no training whatsoever and did not possess any license either. During investigations it had become apparent that she was treating and dressing wounds of patients with injuries.
It has been revealed that this fake doctor had been running this medical center for about a year. Due to the fact that his uncle had been a well-known respected doctor patients had kept coming.
The Central Anti-Corruption Task Force said that with the raid being conducted people of the area were shocked and amazed. Investigations have revealed further that this fake doctor is a resident of Dehiwala and that he comes to the medical center to treat patients. The Central Anti-Corruption Task Force also said that there are instances when this fake doctor had been living at the house at times, where the medical center was being run.