Gold Coast Hospital dismisses Haneefs colleague

Indian born doctor Mohammed Asif Ali, colleague of Dr Mohamed Haneef, has been dismissed from his job at the Gold Coast Hospital.

Melbourne, Aug 24 : Indian born doctor Mohammed Asif Ali, colleague of Dr Mohamed Haneef, has been dismissed from his job at the Gold Coast Hospital.

Queensland Health Director-General Uschi Schreiber said the decision to sack Dr Ali related to his integrity, and not to his medical qualifications.

"It is my view that Dr Ali has been dishonest in the way in which he obtained employment as a medical practitioner in Queensland," Schreiber said.

"He has failed to meet the high standards of integrity and ethical behaviour we require by deliberately embellishing his CV to cover gaps in his work history in India," she said.

Schreiber said Dr Ali's medical qualifications had been thoroughly checked by the Queensland Medical Board and independently verified, and added that he met all the clinical assessments by senior doctors at the Gold Coast Hospital during his time there.

Dr Ali is liable for disciplinary action under two breaches of the Public Service Act, including conduct that was disgraceful and improper and reflected seriously and adversely on the public service.

Queensland Health said it has provided a copy of its report on Dr Ali to the federal immigration department.

Dr Ali flew home to Bangalore on August 17 after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) returned his passport.

The AFP confiscated his passport last month as they investigated links between Dr Ali and Dr Mohamed Haneef, who also worked at Gold Coast Hospital.

The AFP officers interrogated Dr Ali following his friend and former colleague's arrest on July 2 but released him without charge, news.com.au reported.

Queensland Health suspended him on July 27 after it was revealed that Dr Ali faked about three months of his employment history on his resume when he applied for job at the Gold Coast Hospital.

ANI