Bengaluru: Lab assistant gets notice for posing as doctor for years

BENGALURU: A lab assistant posed as a doctor at Thadasighatta public health centre (PHC) near Thyamagondlu (close to Nelamangala) and treated patients for several years without the required medical qualifications. He was caught by the health department.

People living around the PHC had thought Tukaram PS was a qualified doctor and visited him for treatment.

When the appointed doctor remained absent, Tukaram started functioning in his place, and over the years, established his own private healthcare centre near Thyamagondlu and diverted patients to his nursing home, according to officials.

On Monday, the health department issued a showcause notice to him. TOI has a copy of the notice.

Tukaram, 49, was appointed lab assistant at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in 2005, and in 2011, he sought a transfer to Thyamagondlu hobli, as he is from nearby Hesaraghatta, where he currently functions.

Health department officials, headed by Nelamangala taluk health officer Dr Harish T inspected the PHC on Monday, based on oral complaints by the public.

Dr Harish said Tukaram was asked to reply to the showcause notice in three days. “It is learnt that without the required qualification, Tukaram had been working as a doctor, while his actual duty is to function as a lab assistant. His reply has been sought on this,” said Dr Harish.

“We received a letter from the joint director, medical wing, to enquire about a nursing home allegedly run by him or his family. But we learnt that the private health establishment was closer to Bengaluru and beyond our limits,” said Dr Harish. If the allegations are true, then it amounts to professional misconduct and he may be suspended, he added.

Jawaid Akhtar, principal secretary, health and family welfare department, said he was aware of the matter and it would be looked into.

However, Tukaram denied the allegations and said he has only given medicines to needy patients as part of his job, in the absence of doctors. “I am a lab technician and have not done anything apart from my duties. When I do a blood smear test on patients for suspected fever, it’s my duty to dispense medicines required by the patients. The symptoms of fever must subside and medicines should be given even before the medical report is out. An Ayush doctor has been appointed here for the past six months,” he said.

He added that doctors also have community awareness programmes and meetings to attend at the taluk and district levels, for which they travel out of PHCs. At such times, basic medicines should be dispensed by other staff. He also denied owning a hospital, but mentioned that his brother runs an ayurvedic clinic near Bengaluru.