'I was horrified': Woman treated by fake doctor at Manly Hospital

A woman who went to Manly Hospital with back pain says she was shocked and horrified to learn the male doctor who treated her was a fake.

Roxanne Holmes saw a picture of fake doctor Shyam Acharya, who went under the name Dr Sarang Chitale, on 7 News and remembered him as the man who treated her in 2012.

“I’m still shocked to know this man that treated me was a fake, like how does that happen?” she said.

Ms Holmes said she recalled the man had a difficult and abusive bedside manner and refused to give her pain relief.

“He just simply refused to treat me, he was very abusive to me,” she said.

“He actually said to me, ‘I’m going to call security if you don’t leave.’”

Ms Holmes said Acharya was the treating doctor at the ED but the hospital failed to follow up her complaint about his behaviour.

The Health Department has confirmed Ms Holmes was treated by Acharya on at least one occasion at Manly Hospital in 2012.

Acharya had been working under fake credentials in the NSW Health system for 11 years before his lie was discovered.

“The way he spoke to me was so wrong,” Ms Holmes said.

“A normal doctor shouldn’t treat a patient like that, I was horrified.”

One of Acharya’s former colleagues said the fake doctor had been aggressive and defensive when questioned about his medical decisions.

Real doctor found in UK
Authorities search for fake NSW doctor

But according to the government, the scandal doesn't warrant an independent inquiry.

The real Sarang Chitale, who is a real doctor in Manchester, is said to be shocked and distressed by the name theft.

Archarya worked at Manly, Hornsby, Gosford and Wyong hospitals in Sydney and on the Central Coast using his fake credentials.

It’s believed he fled the country earlier this month after investigations began into the elaborate scam last year.