S'porean quack-doctor held

[Tadakatsu Honda]

Singapore
Feb 26, 2010

S'porean quack-doctor held

<!-- by line --> By Linus Lin
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<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> A SINGAPOREAN man has been arrested in Australia for using a fake degree to masquerade as a doctor. The 29-year-old is believed to have dropped-out of the University of Adelaide's medical programme. But his lack of proper qualifications did not stop him from getting an internship last May at the Alice Springs Hospital, where he worked until his arrest on Wednesday. His elaborate con job finally came to light when senior doctors supervising him at the hospital became concerned about his performance. Checks with the University of Adelaide showed that, contrary to what he said, he did not have a medical degree from the institution. The hospital then alerted the Northern Territory Police. 'We can confirm that the man arrested is a 29-year-old Singapore national,' a police spokesman told The Straits Times on Friday.

Read the full report in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

'Fake doctor' faces charges

Singapore
Mar 1, 2010

'Fake doctor' faces charges

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Australian media named him as Balaji Varatharaju, 29, a former Adelaide University student, who is said to have treated more than 400 patients while working in the medicine, surgery and emergency department at Alice Springs Hospital for more than six months. -- PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

<!-- story content : start --> A SINGAPOREAN who masqueraded as a doctor in an Australian hospital using a fake degree has been charged with various offences. Australian media named him as Balaji Varatharaju, 29, a former Adelaide University student, who is said to have treated more than 400 patients while working in the medicine, surgery and emergency department at Alice Springs Hospital for more than six months. An investigation was launched after staff at the hospital this week raised concerns about the Singapore citizen, who was employed as a junior doctor. Alice Springs Hospital lodged a complaint that he was practising without the appropriate qualifications and the man was arrested last Wednesday. He was charged by Northern Territory Police with a number of offences, including two counts of obtaining benefit by deception and knowingly uttering a forged document.

He was remanded in custody and was expected to be brought to court this week. Varatharaju studied medicine at the University of Adelaide in the middle to late 2000s, and appears to be listed in university newsletters as having carried out medical-related research there. But a university spokesman this week said he had never completed a medical degree there, reported adelaidenow.com, which added that he received a conditional registration from the Northern Territory Medical Board last May. The board did not cross-check a certified copy of the man's medical degree with the University of Adelaide. Board chairman Dr Charles Kilburn said the documents appeared genuine and staff followed all protocols, said adelaidenow.com. 'This is a regrettable event. However, we are confident that the processes are in place to ensure supervision of junior doctors so that quality care is provided,' said Alice Spring Hospital.

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[lauhumku]

Aussie court jails bogus doc


Jun 17, 2010
Aussie court jails bogus doc

<!-- by line --> By Judith Tan
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A court sketch of Varatharaju, who was yesterday jailed for two years for forgery and criminal deception. He also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a patient.

<!-- story content : start --> FOR nine months, a Singaporean man pretended to be a doctor at an Australian hospital, attending to more than 400 patients in his time there. Only when his lack of medical knowledge came to light did medical staff get suspicious of the 29-year-old. Yesterday, Balaji Varatharaju was sentenced by the Northern Territory Supreme Court to two years' jail on three counts of forgery and three counts of criminal deception. He also pleaded guilty to the aggravated assault of a patient during a medical procedure.

The former Adelaide University student, who graduated in health science but never completed a medical degree there, was employed as an intern doctor at Alice Springs Hospital after providing a fake medical degree. He worked in the hospital until February this year. The court heard that medical staff began to question Varatharaju's qualifications when he showed a lack of clinical knowledge. It was after further investigation that his forged degree was revealed. He has been in prison since February. This is not the first time he was caught forging documents.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

[zuoom]

Re: Aussie court jails bogus doc

the guy doing the "catch me if you can" thing ah?