This Fake Doctor Spent 4 Days In Vja COVID Hospital

VIJAYAWADA: Police arrested a 45-year-old woman who posed as a doctor at a COVID-19 hospital in Vijayawada. According to details shared by the police, a woman who introduced herself as Sailaja, posed as a doctor and has been visiting the hospital for the last four days. She even entered into the ICU where COVID-19 patients are being treated. Also on Wednesday, she visited the hospital and took a PPE kit from the store by signing in the register as Shailaja. However, some members of the staff at the place grew suspicious and asked her about her whereabouts. To their shock, she replied, “I am Dr Shailaja, working here in the hospital’.

Not satisfied with this, the staff members asked her to sign in the register at the time of obtaining a PPE kit. She also failed to produce her identity card when she was further probed. She kept on giving contradictory statements – she claimed to have come to the hospital on the insistence of her relatives on one occasion. Then, she flipped and said that she is an ayurvedic doctor before changing the tack once again to say that she came to see her relatives who are in the ICU.

Realising that there is something fishy with her, the staff informed the Machavaram police. The police reached the hospital and took her to the police station. During questioning, she revealed that she belongs to Prasadampadu and has completed post-graduation. A case has been registered in this regard and the investigation is going on. It is yet to be ascertained as to why she chose to visit the hospital in the guise of a doctor.

The staff at the hospital however stated that the woman has been visiting the hospital for four days as Dr Shailaja. The hospital staff initially took her for one of the 80 new doctors who have been deputed to the hospital on COVID-19 duties. They also could not immediately establish her identity as she was wearing the PPE gear, the hospital staff claimed. She was also suspected to be providing access to relatives of some COVID-19 patients using her garb as a doctor.

The woman is also giving jitters to the police questioning her due to the fact that she has spent a good four days right inside the COVID-19 hospital. They are worried that she can transmit the killer virus to them as well.