A Syrian surgeon who said Indian doctors should ‘clean toilets, not practice medicine’, and claimed they would be the ‘downfall of the NHS’ has been struck off the medical register. Dr Ragheb Nouman, 52, also called a colleague an ‘Indian b******’ during an argument in front of patients at a hospital bus stop, but blamed his racist remarks on stress due to the ongoing conflict in his home country (Syria).
Dr Nouman, who was working at the University Hospital of North Tees, Teesside, ot into an argument with a co-worker told him that he had ‘no problem with Arabs or Jews, only Indians and the Indian population’, and Indians would ‘take us all over’. When his remarks were reported and he was called for a meeting with the hospital’s clinical director, he was unapologetic; saying, ‘it was all the fault of the Indians’ – but later claimed he was referring to two colleagues in particular.
The General Medical Council launched an inquiry into his comments, but when Dr Nouman was quizzed over the phone he told an investigator that ‘Indians should be gardeners’ and claimed Indian doctors were only complaining about him ‘because they are rude’.
The father-of-three had pleaded to keep his job at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing and denied he was racist – instead blaming his conduct on stress due to the events in Syria. He told the court that he was pursuing a career in orthopaedics in Romania but the panel banned him from all practice after condemning his racist views.
The panel viewed Dr. Ragheb’s statements and said that his actions and words were shameful and the lack of willingness to fix his behaviour was concerning. He conveyed racist views, used derogatory and offensive words towards Indians
Syrian situation not an excuse for racism!
The panel understood Dr. Ragheb’s state of mind due to the ongoing Syrian crisis, but didn’t consider this to be a good reason for him to behave rudely and express racist comments against his co-workers and Indians overall.
This also isn’t the first time Dr. Ragheb has made racist remarks about Indians. Complaints about his behaviour have been coming in since 2012 when he joined the hospital. One one ocassion he got into an argument with consultant orthopaedic surgeon, he went on to tell a female colleague who attempted to calm him down that the only reason he was having a discussion was because ‘Indian doctors’ had reported him.
In a meeting with the clinical director the next day he said, “Its all the fault of the Indians. If we do not look out they will take us all over.”
Later the same day, he approached Dr Guru Reddy, a spine and trauma specialist, at a bus stop in the hospital grounds where he was smoking a cigarette. Dr Ragheb who doesn’t like smokers – pointed at Dr Reddy and asked a group of bystanders, ‘Does this fellow look like a doctor to you?’ When Dr Reddy protested, he said Dr Ragheb walked away from him but turned back to shout, ‘you Indian bastard’, before running off. Dr. Ragheb in a weak defense claimed that he didn’t know the meaning of the word bastard. THe panel rejected his claim as he has been in the UK for many years
Over the years Dr. Ragheb has put together a series of instances where he has made extremely racist statements like –
“I will never accept to be insulted by cheeky Indian doctors, whereas I do respect polite Indian doctors.”
Back in 2012 one of the hospital’s employees Ms. Rose Miller mentioned his most blatant comment about Indians came during an interview when he said, “You must understand that Indian doctors complain about me because they are rude. Indians should clean toilets not practice medicine. Indians should be gardeners.”
Punishment handed out
Following a list of complaints between 2012 and leading up to 2015, Dr. Ragheb Nouman has been struck off the NHS register. He isn’t allowed to practice following investigations and poor evaluations regarding his conduct and constant racist remarks. His remarks were not only unprofessional but also distatsteful.
On the decision to strike of Dr. Nouman from the NHS register, Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, said: ‘We are pleased with the MPTS panel’s decision – racism has no place in medicine or any other environment.”
Image Credits: Cavendish Press (Copyright)
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Syrian doctor who said “Indian Doctors should clean toilets” and are only worthy to do gardening has been removed from medical registry
A Syrian surgeon who said Indian doctors should ‘clean toilets, not practice medicine’, and claimed they would be the ‘downfall of the NHS’ has been struck off the medical register. Dr Ragheb Nouman, 52, also called a colleague an ‘Indian b******’ during an argument in front of patients at a hospital bus stop, but blamed his racist remarks on stress due to the ongoing conflict in his home country (Syria).
Dr Nouman, who was working at the University Hospital of North Tees, Teesside, ot into an argument with a co-worker told him that he had ‘no problem with Arabs or Jews, only Indians and the Indian population’, and Indians would ‘take us all over’. When his remarks were reported and he was called for a meeting with the hospital’s clinical director, he was unapologetic; saying, ‘it was all the fault of the Indians’ – but later claimed he was referring to two colleagues in particular.
The General Medical Council launched an inquiry into his comments, but when Dr Nouman was quizzed over the phone he told an investigator that ‘Indians should be gardeners’ and claimed Indian doctors were only complaining about him ‘because they are rude’.
The father-of-three had pleaded to keep his job at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing and denied he was racist – instead blaming his conduct on stress due to the events in Syria. He told the court that he was pursuing a career in orthopaedics in Romania but the panel banned him from all practice after condemning his racist views.
The panel viewed Dr. Ragheb’s statements and said that his actions and words were shameful and the lack of willingness to fix his behaviour was concerning. He conveyed racist views, used derogatory and offensive words towards Indians
Syrian situation not an excuse for racism!
The panel understood Dr. Ragheb’s state of mind due to the ongoing Syrian crisis, but didn’t consider this to be a good reason for him to behave rudely and express racist comments against his co-workers and Indians overall.
This also isn’t the first time Dr. Ragheb has made racist remarks about Indians. Complaints about his behaviour have been coming in since 2012 when he joined the hospital. One one ocassion he got into an argument with consultant orthopaedic surgeon, he went on to tell a female colleague who attempted to calm him down that the only reason he was having a discussion was because ‘Indian doctors’ had reported him.
In a meeting with the clinical director the next day he said, “Its all the fault of the Indians. If we do not look out they will take us all over.”
Later the same day, he approached Dr Guru Reddy, a spine and trauma specialist, at a bus stop in the hospital grounds where he was smoking a cigarette. Dr Ragheb who doesn’t like smokers – pointed at Dr Reddy and asked a group of bystanders, ‘Does this fellow look like a doctor to you?’ When Dr Reddy protested, he said Dr Ragheb walked away from him but turned back to shout, ‘you Indian bastard’, before running off. Dr. Ragheb in a weak defense claimed that he didn’t know the meaning of the word bastard. THe panel rejected his claim as he has been in the UK for many years
Over the years Dr. Ragheb has put together a series of instances where he has made extremely racist statements like –
“I will never accept to be insulted by cheeky Indian doctors, whereas I do respect polite Indian doctors.”
Back in 2012 one of the hospital’s employees Ms. Rose Miller mentioned his most blatant comment about Indians came during an interview when he said, “You must understand that Indian doctors complain about me because they are rude. Indians should clean toilets not practice medicine. Indians should be gardeners.”
Punishment handed out
Following a list of complaints between 2012 and leading up to 2015, Dr. Ragheb Nouman has been struck off the NHS register. He isn’t allowed to practice following investigations and poor evaluations regarding his conduct and constant racist remarks. His remarks were not only unprofessional but also distatsteful.
On the decision to strike of Dr. Nouman from the NHS register, Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, said: ‘We are pleased with the MPTS panel’s decision – racism has no place in medicine or any other environment.”
Image Credits: Cavendish Press (Copyright)
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