Shyam Acharya: Fake doctor who worked in NSW for decade was able to flee Australia

A FAKE doctor who scammed the health system for more than a decade was able to flee the country as many as four months after authorities began to investigate him.

Shyam Acharya posed as a doctor for 11 year.

• Fake doctor worked in NSW hospitals for 11
• Fake doctor Shyam Acharya’s in-laws furious

A FAKE doctor who scammed the health system for more than a decade was able to flee the country as many as four months after authorities began to investigate him.

The Daily Telegraph understands Shyam Acharya left the country earlier this year.

Acharya, 41, practised for 11 years as a doctor in NSW public hospitals on credentials stolen from Dr Sarang Chitale while in India.

Dr Sarang Chitale has his credentials stolen. Picture: Matthew Pover

Shyam Acharya was able to impersonate a real doctor for more than a decade. Picture: Supplied

Police asked to investigate fake doctor

He came to Australia on an Indian passport in the fake name in 2003 after being recruited by NSW Health and was able to gain citizenship, an Australian passport and property in the fake name.

An angry Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he was “appalled” Acharya could leave Australia while under investigation. He pledged to raise his concerns with federal colleagues when they meet on Friday and wants answers from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

“A federal system that allows a doctor who, on the face of it, has been guilty of conning us all (to leave Australia) is a system with a major problem,” he said.

After stealing the ID of a real doctor, the faker had a passport made out in the stolen name.

“Now that I’m aware that he has only left … after the proceedings were commenced by the federal regulatory body, I will be raising that at the Council of Australian Governments on Friday and at least put it on the agenda for some action.”

The Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency launched their investigation into Acharya in September but have no power to stop him leaving the country.

The matter was bought to the attention of NSW police in September but they dropped their investigation after one month. The Australia Federal Police were also told about Acharya but never investigated, leaving it to other authorities.

The Daily Telegraph understands the Department of Immigration and Border Protection was alerted to Acharya in late 2016.

Mr Hazzard accused authorities of trying to dodge responsibility for the bungle. “This is a finger-pointing exercise and I will ask my federal colleagues to get to the bottom of what the agencies did or didn’t do which allowed this fellow, this conman, to flee the country,” he said.

The immigration department has repeatedly refused to say what action they took once made aware of the fraudster.