• Professional Conduct Comm. discusses initiating action via AG’s Dept. 
• Dr. Ruhul Haq describes media coverage as ‘trash-sifting madmen pursuing a vendetta’

While the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) is reportedly to initiate legal action against him through the Attorney General’s (AG) Department, Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. Ruhul Haq described media personnel covering the matter as resembling “trash-sifting madmen pursuing a vendetta”.

Haq sparked controversy over the past few weeks as it was revealed that he had continued to function as a JMO and conduct postmortem examinations despite having been suspended from exercising his rights, privileges, and immunities conferred upon him by registration as a medical practitioner, for eight months, starting from 20 December 2022, by the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) of the SLMC.

Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Health has taken steps to send him on compulsory leave, with effect from 14 August. The Ministry’s Secretary Janaka Sri Chandraguptha told The Daily Morning last week that Haq had been sent on compulsory leave subject to approval from the Public Service Commission (PSC) until the conclusion of the relevant investigations against him.

Since the suspension imposed on Haq by the SLMC was to end on 20 August 2023, The Daily Morning queried the SLMC as to whether any decision had been taken to extend it. In response, a senior official of the SLMC said that the PCC was currently in the process of reviewing the matter. Following the process, he said that a decision would be taken regarding whether or not to extend the suspension.

However, sources linked to the SLMC told The Daily Morning that the SLMC was currently discussing initiating legal action against Haq through the AG’s Department. According to sources, the matter had already been discussed during the latest meeting of the PCC.

The Daily Morning contacted Haq to query as to whether he would initiate any form of action regarding the allegations that have been levelled against him, to which he responded: “Don’t you all have any other issue to be covered for news? You are all madmen who find other people’s trash. Go and ask about the suspension from the Health Ministry or the SLMC.”

Following the revelation that Haq had continued to practise despite the SLMC-imposed suspension, several concerned parties questioned how he continued to hold office and conduct postmortem examinations. Allegations of issuing postmortem reports with contradictory findings with regard to the deaths of businessman Dinesh Schaffter and Hamdi Faslin, who died last month (July) at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children due to an infection following kidney surgery, have been levelled against him.

The controversial revelation has led to several moves, such as the concerned parties requesting the SLMC to extend the suspension imposed on Haq by way of affidavits, the ministry directing the Colombo Chief JMO to furnish an explanation regarding Haq continuing to serve despite the suspension, and eventually, the ministry sending him on compulsory leave with the PSC’s approval.