Jailed doctor struck off

Disgraced and jailed New Plymouth doctor Hiran Fernando has been struck off the medical practitioners' registry and ordered to pay thousands of dollars in costs.

Fernando was jailed in 2006 for three years and two months after being convicted of 26 charges of indecently assaulting 10 patients.

He was acquitted of a further eight indecent assault charges and three sexual violation charges. The charges spanned 21 years from 1981 to 2002, involving 12 women.

The New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal has decided to cancel Fernando's registration after a hearing in Auckland.

The hearing was between Fernando and the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC), which said the doctor's offences "reflected adversely on his fitness to practice".

It said his conduct involved "gross breaches of patient trust" which impacted significantly on public confidence in the profession.

It was highly publicised and the medical profession was criticised for not discovering the offending earlier. The tribunal ordered Fernando to pay $5750 for the costs and expenses of the hearing by the tribunal.

Fernando was also ordered to pay $6750 for the expenses incurred by the PCC, which laid the charge.

Last year, the Parole Board rejected Fernando's bid for home detention and parole.

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