A MASSIVE fraud has been unearthed at the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Region Three, authorities at the Public Health Ministry have confirmed.

Reports indicate that an orthopaedic technician has not only impersonated an orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, but for years has been soliciting large sums of cash from patients to conduct surgeries and other medical services. It is believed that other medical practitioners are involved in this scam, which is now engaging the attention of the Public Health Ministry. When contacted, the Public Health Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Terrence Esseboom, would only say that an investigation into the allegation would be launched after authorities there confirmed a patient’s story.

However, the Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that an orthopaedic technician attached to the West Demerara Regional Hospital’s Orthopaedic Department has been under the radar since 2010 for suspected fraudulent activities; however, the authorities there were unable to launch an investigation into the matter because affected patients were afraid to step forward.
It is alleged that the technician, who carries the same first name as the surgeon, has been charging patients for services rendered while signing bogus receipts under the impression that he was the surgeon. For minor services, the technician would charge patients $3,000, however, for surgeries and other major services, the figures went well into the hundreds of thousands.

In recent days, the technician has been reportedly demanding $400, 000 from a woman whose relative is required to do a corrective surgery for a fractured foot. The woman, who hails from Kwakwani, Region 10, reportedly pleaded with the technician, stating that she could afford to pay only $20, 000, but the Technician insisted on the $400, 000.
He allegedly explained that there are other practitioners who would have to be paid to get the surgery done.

The Public Health Ministry has had cause to investigate a number of fraudulent activities carried out at some public hospitals.
Over in Region Two, a police investigation continues into the missing drugs and medical supplies at the Suddie Public Hospital.
On Tuesday, three persons, including an ambulance driver and an assistant pharmacist, were taken into custody and placed on $20,000 bail each, while several others were asked to give statements on Wednesday.

The police were called in to investigate a case of fraud at the Suddie Public Hospital, after drugs and medical supplies went missing one week after arriving there.
The administration and the staff could not account for several items sent only last week Tuesday by the Materials Management Unit (MMU).
“In one instance, the pharmacist at the hospital could not have given account for several ampules of pethidine, codine and morphine,” the Health Ministry had pointed out.
Additionally, the Dangerous Drugs Register had not been updated since 2015.

“The team also found instances where the stock of narcotic drugs either could not be accounted for and the pharmacist had extra drugs that were still not recorded as prescribed under the law,” the ministry further disclosed.
A MMU staffer confirmed on Tuesday that 10 items on the list of drugs destined for the Suddie Hospital “either never arrived,” or significantly fewer were received than were sent.
Additionally, all of the 108 bottles of the paracetamol suspension have reportedly vanished, in addition to 20 of the 1,000 ampicillin 500Mg. Twenty thousand disposable gloves sent for the hospital were also stolen.