Courtesy the Sun
A Pakistani woman has landed up on Interpol’s most wanted list after being accused of fraud and forgery.
Anaesthetist Saman Syeda, 50, who works in an NHS hospital, reportedly submitted fake qualifications from a hospital in Lahore in a bid to acquire a UK work permit and passport. Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has also issued an arrest warrant over the allegations.
“Authorities in Pakistan are investigating into whether she faked her qualifications from a hospital in Lahore and forged paperwork. They want her extradited,” a source told The Sun.
Syeda has been working in the UK since 2010 and lives in London’s Ilford area. She has been treating unsuspecting patients at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, East London, even after being on Interpol’s Most Wanted List.
As a result, the hospital has been slammed by health watchdogs and patient groups. However, the GMC and hospital bosses claim that they were not aware of Syeda being on the Interpol list.
A source who knew her in Pakistan said, “This woman is conniving and cunning. She cannot be trusted and the GMC must do something about this to protect people.”
Another source said, “It is very serious, especially given her role as an anesthetist. It is absolutely crucial that she has the right experience and qualifications, and this needs to be looked at immediately.”
“She had always wanted to work in the UK and desperately wanted GMC accreditation,” the sourse said, adding that “The Pakistan authorities take a very dim view of this sort of thing and see it as an embarrassment to their nation.”
Syeda, who is divorced from her husband, told The Sun she did not know of her inclusion on the Interpol list.
“I think this has all been framed by my ex-husband back in Pakistan. I have been informed he has been trying to get hold of my documents and trying to manipulate them,” she said.
The GMC declined to comment and local NHS Trust medical director Nadeem Moghal insisted, “Saman Syeda is fully registered and licensed to practise.
“She has had regular appraisals and is a dedicated and valued member of the team”, he said.
