Fake doctor arrested in Vijayawada for cheating patients, hospitals

Vijayawada: Vijayawada police have arrested a person who cheated patients by posing himself as a doctor at several hospitals.

Addressing media here on Sunday, ACP (South) Dr. B. Ravikiran said Dharmavarapu Jayaram of Rellivalasa village in Poosapatirega mandal of Vizianagaram district had done his intermediate. Thereafter, he worked for some time as an assistant to a doctor in a private hospital in Visakhapatnam. He then went to Bangalore and worked in a private hospital for 15 days. However, he left Bangalore due to language issues and reached Vijayawada. He took a room at a hotel in Krishna Lanka and started living there.

ACP Ravikiran said Jayaram went to a patients’ ward in Andhra Hospital posing as a doctor. He talked to patients and their relatives. He took ₹7,500 from a patient stating he had forgotten his wallet in the operation theatre and left the hospital. On April 5 night, he went to a ward in Vijaya Hospital posing as a doctor. He checked the case sheet and collected ₹10,000 from a patient through online transfer.

Jayaram adopted the same modus operandi at a hospital in Guntur. He reached American Hospital in Vijayawada and started talking to a patient and sought ₹4,000 from him. Suspecting his behaviour, a staff nurse questioned him and alerted security. But Jayaram managed to escape from there.

The ACP said they received complaints from Andhra, Vijaya and American hospitals. They registered cases, formed special teams and arrested Jayaram on Sunday. They have seized ₹4,500 cash and a cell phone from him. Further investigation is on.