Forensic Medical Officer (JMO) expert Dr. Ruhul Haq, who has been working despite a suspension imposed by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and has issued several controversial forensic verdicts, has reportedly been sent on compulsory leave.
The Ministry of Health sent a letter to the Sri Lanka Medical Council last Thursday (17), informing them of the decision to send Dr. Ruhul Haq on compulsory leave. The exact reason for the mandatory leave was not clearly stated in the letter, according to a report by Daily Mirror citing special sources. However, the decision is said to have been taken on the recommendations of the Public Service Commission.
Dr. Ruhul Haq’s involvement in various high-profile cases has stirred controversy. He was linked to the post-mortem reports of Dinesh Shafter, the recent death of a three-year-old child in a kidney operation at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, the death of a five-year-old girl in a private hospital in Colombo in 2013, and the death of an employee in the Free Trade Zone due to food poisoning in 2014. His forensic verdicts have faced criticism for being contradictory and controversial, leading to concerns about his credibility.
The Sri Lanka Medical Council had previously imposed a suspension on Dr. Ruhul Haq due to unethical behavior. The suspension was ordered for a period of 08 months starting from December 20, 2022. Despite the suspension, it is reported that he has continued to conduct significant postmortems over the past eight months.
Notably, the suspension on Dr. Ruhul Haq imposed by the Sri Lanka Vaidya Sabha is scheduled to be lifted on tomorrow (20).
