Nepal Arrests 17 Doctors for Practising Without Proper Accreditation
17 foreign doctors have been arrested in Nepal for practising without the right accreditation in the country.
An Australian woman Sarah Kemp 39 years of age amongst the doctors arrested usually works as a GP in Sydney, but had moved with her family to Nepal to practise medicine in a travel clinic.
The director of the clinic, which serves foreign diplomats, tourists and aid workers, was also taken into custody by police but was later released.
The 17 doctors working at several hospitals across Kathmandu were arrested after Nepal’s top medical body initiated a crackdown against foreigners practising without proper accreditation.
Nepali police said their investigation was prompted by concerns about consumer rights.
“They breached the law here,” Pushkar Karki, the director of Nepal’s Central Investigation bureau, said.
“They were found working illegally, practising in Nepal without any permit and registration from the Nepal Medical Council.”
Any doctors found practising medicine in Nepal without permission from the country’s medical board are liable for up to three years’ imprisonment.
Local police said they had informed the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu of the arrests.
Source: ABC
