By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Aug 17: The 20-year-old youth who has been charged with impersonating a medical doctor at the Vaccine Administration Centre (PPV) of Sarawak Indoor Stadium in Petra Jaya was ordered to perform community service for 120 aggregate hours within one year.
The accused was charged under Section 170 for impersonating a medical doctor of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). He pleaded guilty to the charge framed on July 6.
As the accused is still under 21 years old, Magistrate Zubaidah Sharkawi made it a point to hear the former’s social report before sentencing.
After reading the accused’s social report and considering the recommendation from the welfare officer, Zubaidah agreed with the welfare officer and ordered the youthful offender to perform community service for 120 aggregate hours within one year under Section 293(1)(e) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
According to the facts of the case, on June 16, the accused had put on maroon-colorred scrubs and appeared at Sarawak Indoor Stadium PPV and introduced himself as a doctor from the SGH Neurology Department.
He told the complainant that he was a doctor in charge of the Adverse Effect Following Immunisation (AEFI) Department. The complainant also witnessed the accused on duty at the AEFI Department.
On June 17, the accused told the complainant and others at the same PPV that he had gotten approval from the department head to volunteer at the centre for one week.
On June 19, the accused was seen at the centre’s registration counter and was giving medical advice to the public. The accused even asked the complainant to add him into the PPV’s WhatsApp group to discuss the duty roster.
The whole incident came to light when a volunteer at the PPV, whose husband is a medical officer at the SGH Neurology Department, found out from her husband that the accused is never a doctor from the said department.
The accused was arrested by the police at the Sarawak Indoor Stadium PPV at about 6.35pm on July 1. — DayakDaily
