Doctor profited by scaring families into going private
A DOCTOR frightened the parents of seriously ill children into getting private treatment for his own financial gain, a tribunal has found.
Paediatrician Dr Mina Chowdhury, 44, was found to have falsely diagnosed children with cancer and referred them to a London clinic where he was a shareholder.
The Stirling-based doctor worked for NHS Forth Valley but only faced allegations about his private work in Glasgow.
He appeared at the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal Service in Manchester in October, when he denied charges relating to three patients from March to August 2017. However, he did not appear yesterday to learn the outcome.
It was found that he scared the three sets of parents into paying for private scans and tests offered by his company, Meras Healthcare.
The proceedings previously heard he told a mother, referred to as Parent A, that her child had a neuroblastoma – a type of cancer – in the stomach which could spread if left untreated.
It was found that Dr Chowdhury advised her that her child would need blood tests totalling £1,947 and would need to go to London for an MRI scan, without discussing referral to the NHS.
The tribunal also heard evidence from Parent C, who said Dr Chowdhury told her that her child had a cancerous lump on the bone in their leg and that he knew a doctor in London who could arrange scans in a couple of days, advising them to get an apartment.
Parent C said that, when she asked him if they could wait until after a booked NHS scan, he said: ‘If things are happening, it’s best to get on top of them early.’
The tribunal found he was ‘persuasive’ when suggesting another
‘His actions were dishonest’
child had problems with his immune system and white blood cell count and he arranged ‘inappropriate genetic testing’ to exclude a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.
Dr Chowdhury has admitted he was managing director and a shareholder of Meras Global Ltd and Meras Healthcare Ltd during that time but denied any wrongdoing.
Seven out of 17 allegations brought by Patient B were found proven by the panel.
However, the rest were found not proven. These include the charges that, during a consultation with Patient B, his parents and grandmother on June 5, 2017, the doctor failed to arrange appropriate genetic testing for cystic fibrosis and referred to or implied that there were potential problems with Patient B’s immune system or white blood cell count.
In the findings report from the tribunals service, it said: ‘The tribunal having found that Dr Chowdhury had made unwarranted cancer diagnoses in relation to Patients A,
B and C and that he had suggested unnecessary testing and investigations, and further that he made false records in respect of his consultations and that his actions were financially motivated, it followed inevitably that Dr Chowdhury’s actions were dishonest by the standards of ordinary people.’
Legal chairman James Newton Price said: ‘We found it proved that he made unwarranted diagnoses of cancerous conditions, recommended expensive tests and investigations in London and made records that were untrue.
‘His actions were financially motivated and dishonest.
‘We found that most but not all of the allegations were true.’
A decision over his fitness to practise will be made at a later date.