Shameema Begum died two weeks after the operation. Her family realized the scam days after the surgery.
In a shocking incident, one woman lost her life after she was operated on by an unqualified man pretending to be a doctor. He was an ex-security guard at the hospital, and she wasn't the first patient or family he tricked!
According to Metro, Shameema Begum from Pakistan died after her back wound was treated by an unqualified man posing to be a surgeon. The incident unfolded after Muhammad Waheed Butt told the family of the woman that he could treat her. Reportedly, the family members of the woman paid the inexperienced man for the surgery.
Pakistan: Woman dies after security guard pretended to be doctor and performed surgery
— Smart Eagles (@SmartEaglesZed) June 9, 2021
Wednesday June 9, 2021
A family unwittingly paid an ex-security guard posing as a doctor to treat an 80-year-old woman who died two weeks later, authorities say. pic.twitter.com/xjFnToBnTg
The family was also charged by the man for two additional home visits, which explains that the entire thing was a pre-planned scam.
Consequently, Butt performed a surgery on the woman at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital, a public facility. Police claimed that the operation was done in the presence of a qualified technician. The woman was then discharged and sent home. Unfortunately, the wound did not heal. Instead, bleeding increased and the pain worsened. Soon, the panic-stricken family returned to the hospital. It is then that they discovered the devastating truth.
Woman dies after ‘security man pretending to be doctor performs surgery on her’ https://t.co/CCZrJpSdBt
— The Sun (@TheSun) June 9, 2021
On enquiring about the doctor, who treated the woman, the hospital authorities told the family that no such doctor was employed at their facility. The dumb-struck family soon found out that their doctor was a sham.
Unfortunately, the woman succumbed to her injury.
The authorities stated, "The guard has been charged and is in police custody." They also found that the man had committed similar acts of fraud in the past. "Butt had posed as a doctor and made home visits to other patients in the past also," said the police. The authorities also stated that the woman's body is kept for an autopsy to determine if the complications from the botched surgery are the cause of her death.
Meanwhile, the hospital authorities claimed that Butt was fired two years ago after he was found to extort money from patients. However, the hospital took no responsibility for the act that took place under their roof. One of the staff simply said, "We can’t keep up with what every doctor and what everyone is doing at all times. It’s a large hospital," according to 7News.
However, this is not a standalone incident. In May 2021, a man was arrested for extorting money from patients. In 2016, police found a woman who fooled people into believing she was a neurosurgeon. The con woman with no qualifications performed surgeries along with professionals for eight months at Lahore’s Service Hospital.
References:
https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/08/woman-dies-after-security-guard-pretended-to-be-doctor-and-performed-surgery-14738294/
https://7news.com.au/news/world/woman-dies-after-security-guard-pretended-to-be-doctor-and-performed-surgery-on-her-c-3063396
Cover Image Source: (Representational): Getty Images | Photo by Steve Hix/Fuse