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Kenya throws out 2 Indian ‘doctors’ for illegal patient recruitment

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Atul Arora (left) and Shyam Singh at the Nairobi Area Special Crime Prevention Unit offices where they were questioned after being arrested at a Parklands hotel on Friday while promoting medical services for patients to India. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NMG

Two Indians were on Monday deported after they were charged with two counts of illegal medical practice and being in Kenya illegally.
The two, who were arrested following the Business Daily’s investigations into a fraudulent scheme involving the recruitment and referral of Kenyan patients to India in exchange for kickbacks, were in the morning arraigned at a Nairobi court before they were taken to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for the flight to Delhi.

Atul Arora and Shyam Singh were arrested in Nairobi’s Parklands area following a two-year investigation into an illicit scheme that was said to be running with the backing of senior Health sector officials.

The investigations led to a sting operation by a joint taskforce of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) and Directorate of Criminal Investigations last Friday, leading to their arrest.

The two, who have recruited more than 100 Kenyans in two years, are known to have operations in many countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.

They are known to pay local agents about Sh500,000 for every patient sent to India.

READ: 880 doctors under probe in referral-for-bribe scandal

An agent can, however, reap bigger profits if their “client” requires kidney or bone marrow transplant and if they stayed longer in hospital during treatment.

The kickback due to the referring agent is included in medical bills accruing abroad, leaving patients with a huge financial burden.

At the time of their arrest at Nairobi’s Cloud and Suit Hotel’s ninth floor room, they had recruited 14 agents and were to interview 24 others to participate in the scheme. The duo was charged with promoting medical services for patients’ referrals to India without a work permit.

The scheme mainly targets surgical patients suffering from non-communicable diseases including; cancer, liver and kidney-related diseases, heart diseases, as well as those in need of knee and hip replacement, dentistry, cosmetic and plastic surgery.

The two claimed to have links with 40 facilities in India including; Apollo, Medanta, Max, Fortis, Artemis, Kailash, Japyee, BLK, Asian, Metro, Moolchand and IBS hospitals.

Kibera magistrate J. Kamau imposed a Sh20,000 fine on each of the accused or a two month jail sentence coupled with immediate deportation to their home country.