Still no decision on penalty for police surgeon
Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy is ‘taking his time’ to give a decision in the case of the doctor who is facing suspension for his actions in the treatment of a teen boy who was tortured in police custody.
On Thursday, Dr Ramsammy told Stabroek News that he is still “studying the report” submitted by the Medical Council of Guyana in the case of police surgeon Dr Mahendra Chand and that he is taking his time. The minister said that he will be writing his decision “in accordance with the law.” He said at the end of the process while persons may want to disagree with his decision they “cannot fault it.”
More than two weeks ago, the Council submitted its recommendation to the minister. According to Section 17 (3) (b) of the Medical Practitioner Act of Guyana, if the Council finds a doctor guilty of malpractice it can suspend his registration for such a period “as may be determined by the Council and approved by the Minister.” It was noted that while the minister could extend or reduce the recommended time of suspension, the Act does not authorise him to change the Council’s recommendation of suspension. The Council has recommended that Dr Chand, who has been the police surgeon since 1998, be suspended for two months. The decision was not unanimous as Director of Medical Services of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Dr Madan Rambarran, who is a member of the Council, had stated publicly that he recommended that the doctor be removed as the police surgeon and returned to the GPHC.
Following the Council’s decision to investigate Dr Chand, he was afforded the opportunity to answer the complaint against him which stemmed from the controversial case involving the tortured teenager. After the Council decided on a period of suspension, the doctor was asked to show cause why he should not be suspended, in keeping with the provisions of the Medical Practitioner Act.
In his initial response to the Council, the doctor said that when he was called to treat the tortured teen-who suffered burns to his genital area- he had initially requested that the bag be removed from the child’s head but this request was dismissed by one of the police officers present with the excuse of having something to do “with national security.”
Chand has faced immense criticism for treating the boy while his face was covered with a bag. Based on the doctor’s statement, Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack concluded that his conduct “leaves much to be desired” and she had advised the police force to forward his statement to the Medical Council of Guyana for appropriate action to be taken, in accordance with the law.
