Suspended Judicial Medical Officer seeks reinstatement

• Dr. Ruhul Haq has faced criticism for his controversial and  contradictory postmortem reports

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

Controversial Consultant Judicial Medical Officer, Dr.  Ruhul Haq, who was embroiled in controversy for defying a suspension  imposed by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), is reportedly seeking  to be reinstated in service.  

In a letter, Dr. Haq has requested the President of the College of  Forensic Pathologists of Sri Lanka Dr. S.P.A Hewage to inform the SLMC  to rectify and expedite the process of reinstatement.   

Dr. Ruhul Haq has faced criticism for his controversial and  contradictory postmortem reports in cases such as Dinesh Schaffter’s,  the death of a three-year-old child following kidney surgery at Lady  Ridgeway Hospital, the death of a five-year-old girl at a private  hospital in Colombo in 2013, and a worker’s death due to suspected food  poisoning at the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in 2014.   
 As a result, the JMO was initially suspended for eight  months, starting from December 20, 2022, with the suspension supposed to  end on August 20. However, despite the suspension, he has continued to  perform significant postmortems over the past six months. Subsequently,  the JMO was sent on compulsory leave.          

•  The JMO was initially suspended for eight  months, starting from December 20, 2022, with the suspension supposed to  end on August 20