An investigation has been launched in a hospital in Sydney, Australia after a woman was discovered to have falsified her medical degree.
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The 27-year-old managed to get a job at Bankstown Hospital in January of this year and has been treating patients for eight months despite never having completed her degree. Reports have now come out saying that she failed her final university exams which led her to forge documents to prove the opposite in order to be accepted into the hospital.
Although she has been supervised throughout her time in the hospital, as is the case for all recent graduates, the news has shocked the medical community in Australia nonetheless. A Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital spokesperson said in a statement:
Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital discovered on Monday an employee was not registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA). This person was immediately removed from their duties and Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital referred the matter to NSW Police for investigation.
And added:
This person worked at the hospital from January to August 2021 and was fully supervised throughout that time. The hospital is also conducting an internal investigation, and has reported the matter to AHPRA.
Heavy charges if found guilty
The woman in questions has since lost her job and the matter has now been referred to Bankstown Police who are actively investigating the allegations. If she is found guilty, she could face criminal charges, including fraud. One patient who was treated by the fraudulent doctor said about the news:
You can't be treated by someone who's not qualified to work, you're putting yourself at danger.
