Hospital driver remanded for stealing COVID-19 vaccination cards

Two days after he was arrested by Police ranks for allegedly stealing a dozen blank and unstamped COVID-19 books, 27-year-olf Avinash Ramaherwar, a driver attached to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, was on Friday remanded to prison for the offence.
The Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara resident was arraigned before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
He was charged for simple larceny as well as forging an official document. He was not required to plead, and he has been remanded to prison until September 20.
Ramaherwar was among the three men arrested by Police on Wednesday after they were allegedly caught with 12 blank and unstamped COVID-19 vaccine books; 17 stamped sick leave forms; and several pieces of medical equipment, including a stethoscope, sugar testing kit, and pressure testing kit.
Initially, the suspects were caught with four blank and unstamped COVID-19 vaccine books, but based on investigations, Police on Wednesday went to the West Demerara Regional Hospital and made a request to conduct a search on minibus PWW 3747, which is reportedly usually driven by Ramaherwar.
During the search, ranks found seven blue-coloured blank COVID-19 books in a compartment between the driver’s and passenger’s seats. This was brought to the suspects’ attention, but they bowed their heads and remained silent.
The trio was arrested after two of them visited the Vreed-en-Hoop Health Centre, West Coast Demerara, and requested a female nurse to stamp the booklets.
The nurse checked the booklets and observed that they were all blank, and knowing that the men were not supposed to be in possession of same, she immediately brought the issue to the attention of her supervisor, who subsequently reported the matter to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
As a result, the suspects were contacted and arrested at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, and were escorted to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
During questioning, Police searched the motorcar of one of the men and found a black-and-gold stethoscope, 17 blank sick leave forms which were all stamped with the West Demerara Regional Hospital stamp, and one COVID-19 booklet which was not stamped.

Police then went to the suspect’s home, where further searches conducted unearthed one machine for testing pressure and a machine for testing sugar in his bedroom. He was questioned about the items, and he stated that he had purchased them in Georgetown. However, he could not produce any receipt for them. Police said these items were immediately seized.
Police, in a subsequent statement on Wednesday, said Ramaherwar admitted that he would sometimes uplift the COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Health Ministry in Georgetown and take them to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, during which he took out 12 of the booklets.

Police said further investigations led to a nurse being interviewed, but she denied that the signature in one of the books found in the suspects’ possession belonged to her.

Full brunt of the law
Meanwhile, in light of reports of persons selling and forging COVID-19 vaccination cards, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has issued a stern warning that such persons, if caught, would face the full brunt of the law. In doing so, he reminded that under Section 240 of the Criminal Offences Act, Chapter 8:01, forgery is an offence.

“…you can be prosecuted for forgery, and the fine, if you’re found guilty of forgery, would be up to three years’ imprisonment. And if you forge a vaccination card, you will be liable to this type of punishment if caught. So, I want to encourage people: desist from such practices, because when we catch you, you are going to feel the full brunt of the law,” the Health Minister has forewarned.
He went on to say that the punishment, “…goes to the people who have access to the vaccination card, and the people who are buying the vaccination card”. (G1)