Medical Council to make official police report on ‘fake doctor’ next week

The matter regarding a man who pretended to be a doctor is currently engaging the Medical Council of Guyana and within the new week, an official police report will be made, Juanita Johnson the Council’s secretary told the News Room.

“We will take the steps to report it to the police formally.

“In the new week, probably by Monday because we will write to the police, providing them details of the infraction and the police has the power to investigate,” Johnson said.

Mikhail McLennan, gained popularity this week after the Guyana Cancer Foundation exposed him for pretending to be a medical practitioner.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Narine Singh recently told the News Room that he could face criminal charges.

McLennan joined the Guyana Cancer Foundation about three weeks before the story broke.

On Tuesday, President and Founder Bibi Hassan said she took him in as a volunteer because he presented himself as a medical doctor.

But when she questioned him about his Medical Degree, “he refused to send a copy of it to us. He said he is working as a Medical Officer/Pharmacist at ROK Pharmacy and there is no such pharmacy that exist,” Hassan said in a statement.

While the Cancer Foundation exposed McLennan, it also raises the question about the verification process for new employees/volunteers.

The Foundation also released McLennan’s curriculum vitae with several inaccuracies.

Interestingly, all the universities he said he attended have all denied that he was ever a student.

That CV stated that he is a former student at Queen’s College, the country’s top secondary school, and Texila American University.

Sources at Queens College and Texila have denied that he attended the institutions.

McLennan during an interview with the News Room was adamant that he is a final year medical student at the University of Guyana (UG).

“[Mr. Mikhail McLennan] is not a student or graduate of Texila American University. The said individual has never enrolled in any programs offered by Texila American University,” the university said in a statement.

UG also released a statement and said that the young man did not attend the university at no point in time.

“After reviewing our extensive student records database, the University of Guyana regrets to confirm that Mr. Mikhail McLennan has never been registered as a student in any programme at any of the University of Guyana’s Campuses.”

McLennan in a Facebook post earlier this week claimed that he registered as a medical student in 2016 at UG but due to difficult circumstances he was not able to complete his studies.

There are claims that McLennan also secured jobs at private health facilities and even treated someone wrongfully in the past. On his CV, he also claimed to have worked at the Georgetown and New Amsterdam Public Hospitals.

Additionally, in his CV McLennan listed Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan as a reference. In his interview with the News Room, the young man said she is his aunt.

But in a Facebook post, the Chief Magistrate has denied being a relative of McLennan.

“This character never approached me to be a reference for him and I am in no way related to him,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Officer said there was a similar incident just about three months ago and that matter has since been forwarded to the Guyana Police Force.

But based on his own experience, he said these cases of doctor impersonation are sporadic and not prevalent.