Doctor at GVK EMRI turns out to be nurse

Company asked to explain recruitment

January 15, 2019 01:07 am | Updated 01:07 am IST - CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project (TNHSP) has issued a notice to GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), which operates the 108 ambulance network in the State, and has called for an explanation of its recruitment process.

The notice was sent after it came to light that a 26-year-old nurse had submitted forged documents and obtained a posting as a doctor at an Emergency Care Centre (ECC). A nursing graduate, Rachel Jenifer, submitted a fake MBBS certificate and fake medical council registration number at the time of recruitment. She was posted as a doctor at GVK EMRI’s ECC in Injambakkam.

GVK EMRI operates four ECCs that serve as intermediary centres to stabilise patients. Each ECC has doctors and paramedical staff, and is headed by a physician.

An official of TNHSP, which manages the 108 ambulance network, said they have now asked the staff of the ECC, including emergency doctors, nurses and paramedics to pull out the records of cases attended by her.

Records sought

“The Director of Medical Services has been informed, and the case has been referred to the Joint Director of Tiruvallur for inquiry. We have double-checked every doctor recruited by GVK EMRI to verify their credentials. We asked them to check all the 35 doctors on board at the four ECCs and head office and their credentials were verified to be true,” the official said.

The GVK EMRI has been asked to submit an explanation on why action should not be taken against it for recruiting an unqualified person as a doctor, the official added.

Ms. Jenifer, a resident of Vellore, attended an interview in 2017 and was recruited as a doctor for the ECC. She submitted an MBBS certificate from Kuppam Medical College and Tamil Nadu Medical Council registration.Officials said that soon after recruitment, she also underwent training at GVK EMRI’s head office in Hyderabad and ECC in Chromepet.

Her records showed that she was frequently absent from duty at the ECC in Injambakkam during her 11-month tenure. “On verification, we found the MBBS certificate and medical council registration number to be fake,” the health official said. Now, they will look into how the fake documents were accepted without being scrutinised. She had two curriculum vitae – one as nurse and the other as doctor, which was forwarded to GVK EMRI officials.

Being the employer, GVK EMRI is now conducting an preliminary inquiry. The Human Resource department has lodged a complaint with the Teynampet police.

Ms. Jennifer is absconding.

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