SMC doctor arrested for cheating patients

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A doctor has landed in police custody for allegedly charging his patients for performing surgeries at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) where services are free of cost for citizens.

The public prosecution has referred him to a court for urgent trial, scheduled to start this Tuesday.

According to case files, the doctor who also consulted patients at a private hospital in Bahrain transferred his patients to SMC to perform surgeries.

Despite the hospital offering such services free to citizens, the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau found that the doctor deliberately kept his patients in the dark, and persuaded the gullible citizens to spend their money.

Bahrain has a universal health care system, dating back to 1960. Government-provided health care is free to Bahraini citizens and subsidised for non-Bahrainis. 
Authorities found that the patients believing that they are bound to pay for the expenses paid the doctor excessively.

Police also seized money thus received by the doctor from his bank accounts.

Patients told investigators that the doctor gave them receipts of SMC for the payment made, which later turned out to be counterfeit.

The accused allegedly received BD1000 to BD1500 for performing operations at the SMC from each of his patients.

The Head of the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution said they have completed an investigation based on a report received from the Ministry of Health.

The Public Prosecution recorded the statements of the auditor of the Office of Financial and Administrative Supervision and the executive dire tor of the private hospital where the accused works on a part-time basis.

The prosecution collected testimonies of the patients as well as verified amounts the accused received from patients in the private hospital.