A Sierra Leonean doctor
A Sierra Leonean doctor . Reuters/Baz Ratner

A fake doctor has reportedly worked in Australia for more than a decade. Shyam Acharya allegedly stole a doctor's name and qualifications in India and used the credentials to work in the country.

According to New South Wales Health, Acharya has worked in local hospitals between 2003 and 2014. The suspected fake doctor became an Australian citizen. Acharya faces a fine of up to $30,000.

But authorities believe that he has now left the country. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it is likely that he is no longer in Australia. "It is quite disturbing that a foreign national could get through our border protection with a false passport and ID based on an Indian citizen who had trained as a doctor,” Hazzard said in a statement shared by BBC.

In November, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) alerted NSW Health that it was conducting investigations in the case of Acharya. He was previously employed in four New South Wales public hospitals- two on the state's central coast and two in Sydney.

The Central Coast Area Health Service said he was based in Gosford and Wyong Hospitals from 2003 to 2006. But during those times, Area Health Service Chief Executive Andrew Montague said there was no reported complaint against Acharya.

NSW Health deputy secretary Karen Crawshaw said when Acharya was working in Australia, he was considered a junior doctor, which means he received supervision by other practitioners. Acharya was included in a clinical team investigated over the treatment of one patient.

Meanwhile, authorities probe on how Acharya was given Australian citizenship. "The belief is that he actually trained in a medical course, possibly in India," Hazzard told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The ABC reports that Acharya’s employment ended in 2014 because he wasn’t able to meet the new criteria to keep his registration, which was confirmed by the Health minister. "This fellow lost the right to practice," Hazzard said.

Since 2003, the registration process for doctors has been revised. Hazzard assured that he will study all the aspects of registration to avoid the same case from happening again.

Anyone who has concerns related to the “fake doctor” is advised to speak with the Area Health Service. "If people are concerned we would rather hear from them rather than people getting worried unnecessarily, but it's important to realise it was between that period of 2003 and 2006 and that it was predominantly in medical wards and emergency department," Montague said.