GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Police in Guyana say a 20-year-old orthopaedic technician of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)is assisting their investigations after a video recording of a local entertainer leaked on social media.

The now viral video shows Lolita “Lola” Callender a 33-year-old artiste, receiving medical attention at the Emergency Department.

Callender, better known as “Lola Doll”, was reportedly shot eight times to her right leg, hands, face, and neck outside her home on Saturday night.

Police said they have since seized the phone of the GPHC employee for an analysis to be conducted by the Cyber Crime Unit as part of a probe into the offence of “publication or transmission of an image of the private area of a person”.

If charged indictably and convicted for such an offence, the penalties under the Cyber Crime Act are a fine of GY$8 million and imprisonment for five years.

On summary conviction, the punishment is GY$3 million and three years imprisonment.

Guyana’s police said the man admitted to video recording the well-known make-up artist and singer, and that he sent the recording to his ex-girlfriend by WhatsApp, but after he saw it circulating on social media, he deleted it from his phone.

“The suspect is presently in custody, and checks are presently being made to locate the ex-girlfriend,” police added.

The GPHC said the video recording was done while the patient was in its Emergency Department in a “vulnerable state” and receiving emergency medical care.

“The corporation takes this matter extremely seriously and immediately launched an internal investigation,” the hospital said, adding that the orthopaedic technician was off-duty at the time the video recording was made.

The GPHC apologised to the patient and others for the recording saying “we deeply regret this incident and extend our sincerest apologies to the patient and her relatives”.

“Safeguarding the dignity, privacy and well-being of our patients remains our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to uphold these standards,” the hospital said, reminding all staff, patients and the general public that video recording or photography within its facility is strictly prohibited unless expressly authorised by management.

“Any breach of this policy is a violation of patient privacy, hospital policy, professional ethics, and the trust placed in us by those who seek care,” the hospital said in its statement.

Meanwhile, the police said that a suspect in the shooting has been released on GY$1 million bail  with “strict reporting conditions to the police”.

They said another suspect was released on GY$500,000 bail and that they have since interviewed Callender about the incident.