KOCHI: A worker from West Bengal who had been doing flourishing business posing as a doctor - 'treating' hundreds of patients, mostly migrant labourers, in Perumbavoor - ran out of luck on Sunday. The police found Murshidabad native Sabeer Islam, 34, to be a quack and that he has only primary education.
They acted on a complaint lodged by a woman who fainted after taking a pill and a glucose drip he had administered. Sabeer had set up a 'clinic' in the room where he was staying, at Bhai Colony in Marampilly, near Aluva. A stethoscope, syringes, several tablets and blood pressure-monitoring apparatus were recovered.
Sabeer had been treating migrant workers for the past one month, with hundreds approaching him. The police said he arrived in Kerala around six years ago. The woman from Assam, the wife of a migrant worker, had approached him for treatment last week.
Interestingly, he accepted Rs 1,000 from her as the fee for consultation and treatment. Later, she was shifted to the district hospital in Aluva. After District Police Chief K Karthick received a tip-off about the illegal activity, the police examined his 'clinic'.
First arrest of migrant posing as doc
"The accused had all facilities and equipment required to be a doctor, including stethoscope, syringes, tablets and BP apparatus, except for an MBBS degree. A preliminary probe revealed that he has completed only primary education. The exact details regarding his background will be received only after the interrogation is completed," said an officer.
Though migrant workers are involved in several criminal cases relating to murder, theft and drug peddling, this is perhaps for the first time that a migrant worker has been arrested for posing as a doctor, the officer said. Sabeer told the police that he had administered injections and glucose drips to several patients.
The district police chief has ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident. The accused was produced before court by Sunday. A team comprising Inspector Ranjith, Sub-inspectors Rins M Thomas and Bertin Thomas, ASI Biju, and SCPOs Salim and Babu Kuriakose made the arrest.