Jephthah Ford, the well-known doctor allegedly beaten by police on Monday, was last night being kept under close observation at the Kingston Public Hospital.

Speaking yesterday evening, Dr. Ford's twin Japheth, also a doctor with whom he shares his surgery on Red Hills Road, St. Andrew, told The Gleaner that his 55-year-old brother's condition was "serious but not critical".

He said that he expected a full recovery within weeks, but that the patient had breathing difficulties and is being medicated to prevent blood clotting after earlier reporting symptoms.

"He started feeling a pain in his calf and chest pains that might be clotting that could therefore have been moving upwards and could be life-threatening, possibly blocking the lungs," said his brother. Tests conducted yesterday at the X-Ray Diagnostic Ultrasound Consultants Limited on Ripon Road did not show the appearance of a blood clot at this stage, he said.

Dr. Ford's attorney, Majorie Shaw-Currie, said on Tuesday that both legal and civil action would be taken against the police. Meanwhile, the police continued with their investigations into the incident which occurred about 4:00 a.m. Monday at Dr. Ford's Fun Citi entertainment venue in Port Henderson, St. Catherine.