Doctor remanded for practising after license revoked

Forty- Five –year-old Vishwamintra Persaud of Lot 55 Bush Lot Village Berbice was yesterday

Vishwamintra Persaud

remanded to jail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine- Beharry for reportedly pretending to be a doctor, licensed to medically treat persons for ailments.
The police alleged that on April 23 at West Coast Berbice, the defendant reportedly uttered to a person who sought medical treatment that he was in a position to offer medical services knowing that he was not. The police said that the man had no license which would permit him to practice medicine.
Yet still, they claimed, the man had been practicing in Guyana prior to him being arrested. They further claimed that the defendant had been involved in a rape matter which caused his license to be revoked.
The prosecutor objected to bail. He managed to convince the court that the defendant is a dangerous person that posed a threat to the society. He said that what they had was a man not permitted to medically treat a sick person, and yet still he was practicing medicine. He said based on the seriousness of the offence the defendant should not be granted pre-trial liberty.
Persaud was represented by Kayreen Stephenson who held for Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos.  The lawyer requested bail in a reasonable amount. She related that her client is a respectable business owner in his community and he owns a pharmacy which is operated by a licensed pharmacist and he is merely the cashier.
The court however refused the lawyer’s application and remanded the defendant to jail. He will appear at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court on May 4.