NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard wants jail for a fake doctor who worked for more than a decade in Sydney and Central Coast hospitals with someone else's credentials.
Mr Hazzard says the $30,000 fine facing Shyam Acharya, who's on the run after allegedly stealing the name and medical qualifications of another man, is "crackers".
"I will be pushing for a jail term for anybody who thinks this is acceptable," he told AAP on Wednesday.
The authorities are trying to track down Acharya, who worked as a junior doctor and in the emergency department consults.
PRIVATE MEDICAL COMPANY OUTED FAKE DOCTOR
AAP reports it took a private medical company to out the alleged fake doctor accused of evading NSW health for more than a decade while treating patients at four Sydney and Central Coast hospitals.
Shyam Acharya, allegedly stole the name and medical qualifications of another doctor, "Sarang Chitale", to work at Manly, Hornsby, Wyong and Gosford hospitals between 2003 to 2014.
NSW Health would not reveal whether he had any medical experience before working in Australia, but did say he was subject to supervision given his status as a junior doctor with limited registration.
Acharya was involved in one critical incident where there were concerns about a patient's treatment, but only as one of several people on the clinical team.
As of Wednesday NSW Health has received no further complaints about him.
After Acharya left the hospitals, he worked for a private medical research company between June 2015 and September 2016 using the same fake identity.
AAP understands it was Novatech that raised the alarm to authorities before investigations began.
Management at the firm discovered in September that he may have misrepresented his identity and qualifications.
"Novotech immediately took steps to investigate and contacted the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the NSW police (amongst others)," a spokeswoman told AAP on Wednesday.
"Those organisations conducted their own investigations into this issue with which Novotech fully co-operated.
"Shyam Acharya did not have any direct contact with, nor any responsibility for, patients whilst at Novotech."
Authorities are now trying to track down Acharya, who is accused of stealing the documents while living in India and using them to register with the Medical Board of NSW.
Acharya has been charged by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and faces being fined up to $30,000.
Mr Hazzard says that figure is "crackers" and more needs to be done, adding it was disturbing such a "master con-man" got through border protection with a false passport.
