NHS Doctor and Husband Jailed in UK for Selling Stolen PPE During COVID Pandemic

London Desk, Delhi Magazine: A shocking breach of public trust has emerged from the UK, where an NHS doctor and her husband have been jailed for illegally selling stolen hospital PPE online during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Attiya Sheikh (46), working as a locum doctor at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, Scotland, and her husband Omer Sheikh (48), pleaded guilty at Paisley Sheriff Court to reset — the Scottish legal term for knowingly possessing and selling stolen goods.

The couple exploited the desperate situation of the pandemic between May and October 2020, selling hospital-issued masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) on eBay and earning £8,000 (₹8.5 lakh) in less than five months.

At a time when healthcare workers across the globe were risking their lives with limited supplies, this doctor — entrusted to save lives — chose profit over duty. Her husband facilitated the sales online, making a mockery of the public health crisis that killed millions worldwide.

Sheriff Craig Harris, while sentencing, described their actions as a “serious and shameful breach of professional and public trust.” He noted that Dr. Sheikh, by virtue of her position, had full access to NHS inventory, and used that access to personally profit from the suffering of others.

While the exact length of their prison sentences has not been disclosed, the conviction has triggered international outrage, especially among health communities and ethics watchdogs.

This case is a grim reminder that corruption and selfishness can exist even in the most trusted professions — and no one is above accountability, whether they wear a white coat or a black robe.