14 years after suspension - Doctor accused of raping abortion patients seeks to work in Guyana again
January 14, 2012 | By KNews | Filed Under News
Source - Kaieteur News
Fourteen years after he was suspended pending investigations into the alleged rape of two patients, physician Dr. Rama Sahadeo is asking to be allowed to work in Guyana again.
But the sister of one of the alleged victims has vowed to do all in her power to stop Sahadeo from being allowed to practise here.
Kaieteur News has confirmed that Sahadeo, now 68, has applied to the Medical Council of Guyana to have his suspension lifted. He is reportedly being represented by a senior counsel, who sent the application to the Council last December.
This newspaper understands that members of the Council met on Thursday to discuss the issue. It is likely that the accused doctor will have to appear before the Council to have his cases heard.
But according to medical sources, the testimonies the alleged victims gave to the Medical Council in 1997 were among documents that were destroyed in the Ministry of Health fire that occurred in July 2009.
This may mean that the women will have to testify again to the new Medical Council, but there are reports that one of the alleged victims has migrated. Officials from Health and Shelter had interviewed and counseled the women and still have copies of their statements.
The allegations against Dr Sahadeo surfaced in April 1997, when a 25-year-old patient alleged that the physician raped her while she visited his Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg clinic to have an abortion. The woman alleged that she was given an anesthetic which left her helpless to defend herself.
Sahadeo, 54 at the time, was charged with rape on June 3, 1997, but left the country on the very day that he was scheduled to appear in court. This prompted former Chief Magistrate K. Juman-Yassin to issue a warrant for his arrest.
An attorney representing Dr Sahadeo later submitted a medical certificate for the accused explaining his absence.
The charge against Dr Sahadeo was later dropped after the patient indicated that she no longer wanted to testify. She submitted a statement to former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ian Chang.
Dr Sahadeo was also charged and acquitted in 1987 for the alleged rape of a 22-year-old housewife who had visited his clinic for an abortion. She, too, had alleged that the abuse occurred after she was given an anesthetic. The woman and her husband had filed a complaint to former Minister of Health Noel Blackman and to the Commissioner of Police.
Dr. Sahadeo was represented by Senior Counsel Doodnauth Singh.
Several prominent groups, including the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) had come out on support of the alleged victim.
In the midst of the 1997 rape investigation, two other women made similar claims of sexual misconduct against Dr Sahadeo to the Medical Council of Guyana and to Help and Shelter. Both women claimed to be former patients, and alleged that the molestation occurred in 1976 and 1987 respectively, when they visited the physician’s clinic to have abortions.
One alleged that she was 17 at the time.
The women claimed that they kept their ordeals a secret out of shame, but came forward after realizing that they were not the only victims.
Testimony was given in September 1997 before Medical Council Chairman Dr. Walter Chin, (now deceased); Guyana medical Association President Dr. Max Hanoman; and leading gynaecologist Dr. M.Y Bacchus (also deceased).
The allegations prompted the Guyana Medical Association to caution male doctors to have a female nurse present when making examinations of female patents.
However, Dr Sahadeo, who was reportedly still overseas, never appeared before the Council to defend himself, and the Council suspended him from working here pending the outcome of the hearing.
Dr Sahadeo’s recent approach to the Council is reportedly not the first attempt he has made to have his suspension lifted.
But medical sources said that even if the suspension is lifted, Dr Sahadeo would most likely have to work under supervision.
A source explained that any physician who has not been practising for three years is required to work under supervision when he resumes. Dr Sahadeo has not been practising for at least ten years, and that means that the supervisory period would be even longer.
Dr Sahadeo’s attempt to be reinstated is likely also to create a furore among women’s rights groups, which supported the alleged victims. The sister of one of the women who testified to the Council expressed outrage at this new twist in a case that the family had thought was long behind them.
“How do I feel? Angry, disappointed, and drained, since maybe at this point there is not much more I can do at this point, but if there is anything that I can do within my power to stop him from getting back his licence, I will.”
The woman’s sister had given a statement to the Medial Council of Guyana after Dr Sahadeo was charged. It was she who had claimed her ordeal occurred in 1983. Both sisters had also spoken with Kaieteur News prior to contacting Help and Shelter and the Guyana Medical Council.
“In 1997 I felt compelled to relate what I knew… In the process I had to contact my sister who was a victim. In the process she had to reveal this ordeal to her husband. To know that this man is now asking for his licence to be renewed and to think that the Medical Council would even consider it makes me sick.
“My relative did what she had to do (in testifying), now she is no longer in Guyana to come forward again. It is now left to the relevant organisations to get their records and do what is right to serve as justice for the victims. I have no fight left in me.
“Instead of staying and face the victims and try to prove his innocence, he fled the country now conveniently all records have been destroyed and he wants to come back? What does that tell you?”
January 14, 2012 | By KNews | Filed Under News
Source - Kaieteur News
Fourteen years after he was suspended pending investigations into the alleged rape of two patients, physician Dr. Rama Sahadeo is asking to be allowed to work in Guyana again.
But the sister of one of the alleged victims has vowed to do all in her power to stop Sahadeo from being allowed to practise here.
Kaieteur News has confirmed that Sahadeo, now 68, has applied to the Medical Council of Guyana to have his suspension lifted. He is reportedly being represented by a senior counsel, who sent the application to the Council last December.
This newspaper understands that members of the Council met on Thursday to discuss the issue. It is likely that the accused doctor will have to appear before the Council to have his cases heard.
But according to medical sources, the testimonies the alleged victims gave to the Medical Council in 1997 were among documents that were destroyed in the Ministry of Health fire that occurred in July 2009.
This may mean that the women will have to testify again to the new Medical Council, but there are reports that one of the alleged victims has migrated. Officials from Health and Shelter had interviewed and counseled the women and still have copies of their statements.
The allegations against Dr Sahadeo surfaced in April 1997, when a 25-year-old patient alleged that the physician raped her while she visited his Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg clinic to have an abortion. The woman alleged that she was given an anesthetic which left her helpless to defend herself.
Sahadeo, 54 at the time, was charged with rape on June 3, 1997, but left the country on the very day that he was scheduled to appear in court. This prompted former Chief Magistrate K. Juman-Yassin to issue a warrant for his arrest.
An attorney representing Dr Sahadeo later submitted a medical certificate for the accused explaining his absence.
The charge against Dr Sahadeo was later dropped after the patient indicated that she no longer wanted to testify. She submitted a statement to former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ian Chang.
Dr Sahadeo was also charged and acquitted in 1987 for the alleged rape of a 22-year-old housewife who had visited his clinic for an abortion. She, too, had alleged that the abuse occurred after she was given an anesthetic. The woman and her husband had filed a complaint to former Minister of Health Noel Blackman and to the Commissioner of Police.
Dr. Sahadeo was represented by Senior Counsel Doodnauth Singh.
Several prominent groups, including the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) had come out on support of the alleged victim.
In the midst of the 1997 rape investigation, two other women made similar claims of sexual misconduct against Dr Sahadeo to the Medical Council of Guyana and to Help and Shelter. Both women claimed to be former patients, and alleged that the molestation occurred in 1976 and 1987 respectively, when they visited the physician’s clinic to have abortions.
One alleged that she was 17 at the time.
The women claimed that they kept their ordeals a secret out of shame, but came forward after realizing that they were not the only victims.
Testimony was given in September 1997 before Medical Council Chairman Dr. Walter Chin, (now deceased); Guyana medical Association President Dr. Max Hanoman; and leading gynaecologist Dr. M.Y Bacchus (also deceased).
The allegations prompted the Guyana Medical Association to caution male doctors to have a female nurse present when making examinations of female patents.
However, Dr Sahadeo, who was reportedly still overseas, never appeared before the Council to defend himself, and the Council suspended him from working here pending the outcome of the hearing.
Dr Sahadeo’s recent approach to the Council is reportedly not the first attempt he has made to have his suspension lifted.
But medical sources said that even if the suspension is lifted, Dr Sahadeo would most likely have to work under supervision.
A source explained that any physician who has not been practising for three years is required to work under supervision when he resumes. Dr Sahadeo has not been practising for at least ten years, and that means that the supervisory period would be even longer.
Dr Sahadeo’s attempt to be reinstated is likely also to create a furore among women’s rights groups, which supported the alleged victims. The sister of one of the women who testified to the Council expressed outrage at this new twist in a case that the family had thought was long behind them.
“How do I feel? Angry, disappointed, and drained, since maybe at this point there is not much more I can do at this point, but if there is anything that I can do within my power to stop him from getting back his licence, I will.”
The woman’s sister had given a statement to the Medial Council of Guyana after Dr Sahadeo was charged. It was she who had claimed her ordeal occurred in 1983. Both sisters had also spoken with Kaieteur News prior to contacting Help and Shelter and the Guyana Medical Council.
“In 1997 I felt compelled to relate what I knew… In the process I had to contact my sister who was a victim. In the process she had to reveal this ordeal to her husband. To know that this man is now asking for his licence to be renewed and to think that the Medical Council would even consider it makes me sick.
“My relative did what she had to do (in testifying), now she is no longer in Guyana to come forward again. It is now left to the relevant organisations to get their records and do what is right to serve as justice for the victims. I have no fight left in me.
“Instead of staying and face the victims and try to prove his innocence, he fled the country now conveniently all records have been destroyed and he wants to come back? What does that tell you?”