At a West Yorkshire clinic, a doctor has admitted to lying in order to receive a Covid shot for which he was not qualified.
Dr. Srinivasa Kummaraganti reportedly visited the Covid vaccine center at the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust in February 2021, according to a medical tribunal.
Dr. Kummaraganti testified before the tribunal that he had pretended to be a staff member in order to receive his second dose of vaccination, a decision he now "regrets.".
On Wednesday, it is anticipated that the hearing into his actions will continue.
A panel of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service was informed that Dr. Kummaraganti had entered the facility on February 21 while wearing an ID badge and a stethoscope.
He claimed to have received his first shot on January 1 and said he had been called to come in for his second dose, both of which were untrue.
According to Elizabeth Dudley-Jones, a representative of the General Medical Council, the trust offered its staff second doses at the time in an effort to reduce waste, but only to those who qualified.
She claimed that Dr. Kummaraganti's wife was one of those called for vaccination and that she worked for the trust.
According to Ms. Dudley-Jones, the doctor's wife had inquired as to whether her husband could also receive a vaccination but was informed that he was ineligible because he had only received his first dose on January 8.
"You were informed about the discussions she had been having regarding your ineligibility. During the hearing on Tuesday, Ms. Dudley-Jones informed the doctor, "She had been told repeatedly that you were not eligible.
Dr. Kummaraganti had a well-thought-out plan to "hoodwink" trust employees before he arrived, she added.
Dr. Kummaraganti's dishonesty, according to Ms. Dudley-Jones, was limited to a single day, but it was still "clearly serious misconduct" that involved "deliberate and purposeful dishonesties.".
In his testimony, Dr. Kummaraganti stated that he had not practiced medicine in the UK or India since 2018 and had no plans to do so again.
The panel was told that his desire for vaccination was motivated by his impending return to India to care for his elderly parents and his worry that he might contract Covid and spread it to them.
On the day he received the jab, he claimed he was "overwhelmed," which "clouded" his judgment.
He acknowledged that he had given false information and acted dishonestly out of fear of forgetting to get his vaccination.
"Everything I did, I regret completely. I apologize to everyone who has been a part of this investigation sincerely and from the bottom of my heart, he said.
Dr. Kummaraganti was reported to have taken several ethics and probity courses, worked with a mentor, discussed his behavior with family and friends, and apologized to the trust in a letter, according to the tribunal.
The tribunal will later decide whether the doctor's misconduct—which he has admitted—meant that his ability to practice was compromised as a result of his actions.
