Suspended JMO conducts two crucial postmortems

• JMO has been suspended till August 20  
• JMO conducted postmortems of Schaffter and three-year-old child at LRH   

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

Consultant Judicial Medical Officer (JMO), Dr. Ruhul Haq, from the Colombo JMO Office, has conducted two significant postmortems in the past six months despite the suspension that was issued against him by the Sri Lanka Medical Council last December, being still effective until August 20.   

The SLMC website says, “The Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) has decided that commencing from the 20th December 2022, Dr. Ruhul Haq (SLMC Reg: 15168) 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.”   

Accordingly, his suspension should end on August 20. However, he has been practicing despite the suspension and have conducted two crucial postmortems of Dinesh Schaffter and the death of the three-year-old child at Lady Ridgeway Hospital following kidney surgery last week.   

The postmortem reports of the aforementioned two incidents submitted by Dr. Ruhul Haq, contained contradictory findings as ruled by the court.   
First case in point, President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne, who appeared for the family of Schaffter, on 9 February, informed Additional Magistrate Jayasuriya that the post-mortem report of Schaffter submitted by Colombo JMO Ruhul Haq contained contradictory findings.   

In addition, Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on Wednesday (02) ordered the Borella Police to conduct an investigation based on all medical records available as there are contradictions and obscurities in the JMO’s report.   

Meanwhile, SLMC President Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake told Daily Mirror that the suspension of the particular JMO has not been revoked and thus is still in operation.   
Besides, Daily Mirror has reliably learnt that the particular JMO has made an appeal to the Health Ministry requesting to consider revoking his suspension. However, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told Daily Mirror that he had not responded to the appeal, as he could remember.   

Dr. Ruhul Haq was under fire on several other instances as well where his postmortem reports raised serious concerns due to the contradictory findings. The JMO’s report regarding the questionable death of a five-year-old girl at a private hospital in Colombo in 2013 and worker’s death due to the suspected food poisoning case at the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in 2014 were found to be controversial. 

Although Daily Mirror has found the particular JMO’s mobile number, numerous attempts to contact him have failed.   

•  SLMC says suspension of JMO still in operation