A shocking revelation has come to light in Chennai regarding a fake doctor who had been practising in several hospitals in the city for many years, including a leading multi-specialty hospital at Mylapore.

The issue became known only after strenuous efforts of the family of a 48-year-old woman who died in May after being treated by the accused known as Ranjith, at the multi-specialty hospital at Mylapore. The Mylapore police recently filed a cheating case against Ranjith and Dr Senthil Kumar, the managing director of the hospital. It was only after the efforts of the family in verifying with the State and the National medical councils that the registration number submitted by Ranjith belonged to another retired doctor with a similar name from Adyar that the police came into action.

The police had not yet acted in the case despite issuing a ‘Community Service Register’ receipt on August 28, acknowledging the complaint.

K Jothi, aged 48, was fighting cancer and suffered sudden death in the Mylapore hospital on May 18. The family had suspicion over the accused since the beginning that grew further following Jothi’s sudden demise when the hospital was said to have delayed issuing the medical reports and bills. Ranjith had performed a surgery a week before Jothi’s death, following which she suffered a seizure and was admitted in the ICU. Her health had started deteriorating and the family were preparing to shift her to the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital when on May 18, the staff told the family that Jothi had started bleeding and was critical. Ranjith had attended to her in the ICU and minutes later, she was declared dead.

The family had lodged a complaint with the Mylapore police; however, no action was taken. The police is reported to have even defended him and gave the family his medical council registration number. The family found out that the registration number belonged to a doctor based in Adyar. The police didn’t help them much when they shared this information with them. It was only after the family visited the address obtained from the medical councils and found another retired doctor but with the name there, the police summoned Ranjith in August last week. Ranjith was reported to have gone absconding after appearing once at the police station in the last week of August and an FIR had still not been filed. The family thus filed petitions to various authorities, including CM’s cell.

An advocate representing the hospital stated that Ranjith had volunteered to work in the hospital and Senthil Kumar checked the registration number provided by him, found the name as ‘Ranjith Kumar’, and did not probe further, which has landed the hospital in trouble.

Ranjith’s address has been traced and his mother has reported that he was once studying in a medical college in Bengaluru, but was not sure whether he completed the course.

A case has been filed under section 15 (3) of the Indian Medical Council Act and IPC sections 419 (personation) and 420 (cheating). (Indian Express)