Probe into JMO Ruhul Haq who continued to practise despite suspension

Director-General of Health Services says a ministerial-level investigation would be initiated against Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. M.N. Ruhul Haq, who had conducted post-mortems including two significant ones, despite a suspension imposed by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC).

Dr. Haq had performed the post-mortems of the well-known late businessman Dinesh Schaffter, whose murder still remains a mystery, and the child who died at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children in Colombo following a kidney surgery.

The SLMC gave Dr. Ruhul Haq (SLMC Registration 15168) an 8-month suspension with effect from December 20, 2022, after an inquiry into the complaint made by Mr. S.A. Rathnasena.

The council’s website mentions, “The Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) has decided that commencing from the 20th of December 2022 Dr. Ruhul Haq should be imposed a suspension for a period of eight (08) months from exercising his rights, privileges and immunities conferred upon him by registration as a Medical Practitioner in terms of the provisions of the Disciplinary
Regulations published in the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No 757/7 dated 10th March 1993 and Medical Ordinance No. 26 of 1927 as amended.”

Although the suspension is supposed to come to an end on August 20, 2023, Dr. Haq was found to have been practising during this period and has performed the much-talked-about post-mortems of murdered businessman Dinesh Schaffter and Hamdi Fazleen, a three-year-old who was receiving treatment at the LRH.

According to Dr. Gunawardena, on January 02, 2023, he had approved the suspension of Dr. Haq after receiving a letter from the SLMC conveying its decision.

The health services chief, noting that the responsibility of implementing the suspension lies with the head of the respective institution, assured that a ministerial-level probe would be carried out into the matter.

He mentioned that the Public Service Commission has been informed of the matter and that they are awaiting its response to decide on the disciplinary action that should be taken against Dr. Haq, who was previously under fire after the court ruled that the reports of the post-mortems he had performed contained contradictory findings.

In the post-mortem report on Hamdi Fazleen’s death, Dr. Haq had mentioned that the boy was born with only one kidney – a condition called renal agenesis. However, Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya had ordered Borella Police not to continue with the investigations based solely on Dr. Haq’s forensic analysis as contradictions and obscurities in his reports had been confirmed during previous court proceedings.

The Additional Magistrate had earlier stated that contradictory particulars were observed in the original report and the final report compiled by Dr. Haq after performing the post-mortem of Dinesh Schaffter.

Speaking on the matter, Dr. Haq had said he had been reinstated after he appealed to the Health Ministry against the SLMC’s suspension.