US doctor now aware of alleged identity theft

Mohamed Shakeel Siddiqui worked at Waikato District Health Board after allegedly stealing the credentials of a US doctor with a similar name. Photo / David Kerr

The American doctor who allegedly had his identity stolen by a man now facing charges in Hamilton is aware of the case.

Mohamed Shakeel Siddiqui, 54, worked at Waikato District Health Board after allegedly stealing the credentials of a US doctor with a similar name.

He was involved in assessing and treating an estimated 75 patients before the alleged identity fraud was uncovered.

Psychiatrist Dr. Mohammed S. Siddiqui, who had his credentials allegedly pinched, works at a hospital in Naperville, Illinois.

Staff at Edward Hospital & Health Services said the psychiatrist was busy with patients today and unable to comment.

"The doctor's aware of it. Our legal department's working on it," a staffer at Dr Siddiqui's department said.

"We get bombarded with calls every day from this."

According to US News & World Report, Naperville-based Dr Siddiqui received his medical degree from Deccan College of Medical Sciences and had been practicing for 18 years.

The other Siddiqui was refused bail after appearing in the Hamilton District Court via audio-visual link yesterday.

Waikato District Health Board (DHB) said it provided an affidavit in support of police opposition to continued name suppression for the alleged impostor when he appeared in court yesterday.

The DHB said yesterday it had identified 27 patients requiring further follow-up.

Of these, it had contacted 22 but was still trying to contact the remaining five people.

The Health Board said the other 48 were all followed up by teams or clinicians after seeing Siddiqui and had been informed of the alleged identity theft.