Medical Board: Sawh probe in lawyers' hands

Dr Avinash Sawh - Photo by Roger Jacob
Dr Avinash Sawh - Photo by Roger Jacob

HEAD of the Council of the Medical Board Dr Lesley-Ann Roberts says the investigation into complaints about Dr Avinash Sawh’s viral rant is in the hands of the board's lawyers.

In November, a leaked recording of the San Fernando-based doctor’s conversation with an employee went viral on social media. He was heard boasting that he was a multi-millionaire, calling the police “paupers, dunce, uneducated” and using derogatory ethnic terms.

He apologised a week later after heavy backlash on social media, and a doctor, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, an actor, and two others wrote to the Medical Board asking for an investigation into the matter.

The board then wrote to Sawh and his attorney Martin George asking for an explanation, to which they replied with a 100-page document.

In December, Sawh complained of bias in the investigation.

He and George believed the board was “actively seeking and encouraging complaints” to be filed against him and gave it a January 18 deadline to respond to the claims.

Newsday has sent e-mails to the board since November, asking for an update on the investigation, but it never responded.

But, speaking with Newsday on Thursday, Roberts said, “Well, it really and truly is in the hands of our counsel at the moment, so until I get some feedback from them, we will be guided by what they have to say.”

Asked if such investigations take this long, she said, “It’s in the hands of our lawyers.

“Dr Sawh has his lawyers and they speak a lot. And as you would know from Dr Sawh’s lawyers...we have our lawyers as well. So we are awaiting some feedback from them.”

A number of people have called on the board to revoke Sawh's medical licence.

While he has continued to see patients, whenever he is asked for by phone, receptionists say he is not in office.

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