Fake Japan doctor arrested

2012-09-24 14:04

A fake doctor in Japan has been arrested. (Shutterstock)

Tokyo - Japanese police on Monday arrested a man who posed as a doctor to earn cash, examining 2 300 people with little more than a few hours of self-study to back it up, police and media said.

Miyabi Kuroki, 43, had no experience of medical school and passed himself off as a qualified doctor after finding the identity of a legitimate physician on the Internet, Jiji Press reported.

He was dispatched by an employment agency to a Tokyo hospital where he conducted medical interviews, examined electrocardiograms and explained check-up results to more than 2 300 people, local media said.

He was undone when a medical exam study school where he had "taught" became suspicious and contacted the hospital.

Police in Tokyo said on Monday they had arrested Kuroki on suspicion of forging a medical licence in 2009 and earning ¥2.62m ($34 000) by illegally working part time as a doctor at a hospital in Tokyo in 2010 and 2011.

The suspect reportedly admitted the wrongdoing, telling investigators: "I wanted money to pay child care and living expenses."

The hospital where he worked has apologised for the incident and asked all those seen by him to go back for re-testing.

- AFP