A general practitioner has been removed from the medical register after establishing an unregistered clinic where he purported to cure cancer by injecting patients with garlic oil, charging up to £15,000 per person. Dr Mohsen Ali, a graduate of Cairo University, conducted these so-called treatments in a room within his council house, described as 'squalid and unsanitary' by authorities.
Details of the Case
Dr Ali, who had been fully registered for 11 years, informed one patient that the disease would be so straightforward to cure that he would offer a refund if unsuccessful, a tribunal heard. He also received at least £10,000 from a terminally ill woman who had been told by medical professionals that no further treatment was possible.
During consultations, Dr Ali claimed that the NHS was deliberately trying to kill patients and that hospitals were solely interested in taking their money. He asserted that he aimed to cure 90 per cent of cancer cases.
Unsanitary Conditions
When police investigated following a report, they discovered that liquids used during treatments were not stored in sterile conditions. Some were found in a Halfords box, the tribunal was told. One patient reported that Dr Ali would inject him with fluids but was 'evasive' when questioned about the ingredients, only confirming Vitamin C and garlic oil.
Treatment sessions took place at the GP's council house, which an expert described as 'squalid, unprofessional, neglected and highly inappropriate'. Ozone therapy, a controversial alternative medicine, was sometimes performed at the semi-detached home shared with another household. An 'old, decaying' mattress was visible in the garden, and there were no separate kitchen or toilet facilities for patients.
One patient noted that when the cannula was removed, blood would spurt out and could have easily contaminated others in the room.
Tribunal Decision
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) decided to strike Dr Ali off the medical register due to his 'fundamental breach of the tenets of the profession'. He began working in the UK in 2001 and held a full licence from 2004 until it was withdrawn in 2015. Despite this, he treated two cancer patients between January and September 2018.
Both patients had been referred to him as a doctor who could help treat cancer. He informed them that he could cure their cancer, charging one £15,000 and the other between £10,000 and £12,000.
Advertisement Claims
Dr Ali advertised himself as a doctor with GP experience, claiming a target to achieve a 90 per cent cure rate for cancer and other illnesses. His flyer read: 'In the name of Allah the best healer, we aim to achieve over 90 per cent cure rate in the most challenging illnesses e.g. Cancer (Malignant Tumours).'
Patient A, who had stage three prostate cancer, was told by Dr Ali that his 'cancer can be easily cured'. Several specialists had previously recommended surgery, but he was 'desperate' for an alternative due to potential side effects. During their initial phone conversation, Dr Ali laughed and said prostate cancer was so easy to cure that he would refund the money if he could not eliminate the illness.
He later advised Patient A not to listen to NHS doctors, claiming they were 'just trying to make money' from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The tribunal found that Dr Ali would have been aware of the lack of evidence supporting his treatment.
Patient B's husband explained that his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015 and underwent surgery and NHS treatment. When the disease returned in January 2018 and she was told nothing more could be done, she turned to Dr Ali. He claimed the NHS was killing patients and that he could treat the terminal cancer. He took between £10,000 and £12,000 under a 'false pretence', her husband later realised. Dr Ali administered substances including Vitamin C, oxygenated water, ozone treatment, and sodium bicarbonate.
Investigation and Outcome
A concern was raised with the General Medical Council in June 2019, and a crime report was made by Leicestershire Police the following month. When interviewed, Dr Ali acknowledged he was not registered but said he did not need to be as all his work was therapeutic. He claimed to provide 'herbal natural treatment', cupping, and faith Koran healing.
Dr Ali did not attend the MPTS hearing. Patient A said he was 'very angry' with how he had been treated. Nessa Sharkett, chair of the MPTS, concluded: 'The Tribunal determined that Dr Ali poses a high and ongoing risk to public protection and that his fitness to practise is, therefore currently impaired by reason of misconduct.'
The tribunal found that Dr Ali misled vulnerable cancer patients into paying substantial sums for non-evidence-based treatment, practised without a licence, used unsafe and unhygienic premises, failed to obtain informed consent, failed to provide adequate information about treatment risks and side effects, failed to keep adequate records, and caused delay in Patient A obtaining appropriate evidence-based treatment. He exploited the trust inherent in his position as a registered doctor, falsely advertised cancer cure claims, misled patients about his licence status and treatment, and used his professional standing to obtain money from vulnerable patients.
