Police have arrested an alleged bogus optician who was operating an Optical Laboratory for about fifteen (15) years. The alleged optician was cutting, fitting and dispensing spectacles in Vanderbijlpark. The Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) said it is concerned about the disregard bogus healthcare practitioners have for the law as some continue posing as healthcare practitioners, endangering the lives of members of the public. “The HPCSA is continuously strengthening its effort to eradicate illegal practice by unregistered persons.” Acting Head of Division: Corporate Affairs, Priscilla Sekhonyana said the optician was arrested for Fraud and Contravention of Section 17(1) of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974 and detained at the Vanderbijlpark police station. The HPCSA’s Inspectorate Office in collaboration with the Vanderbijlpark Crime Prevention Unit conducted an operation at the optician’s practice in Vanderbijlpark on Friday, 21 August. “The council is pleading with the public to verify the status of the practitioners before consulting. The verification can be done through the i-Register on the HPCSA website, calling the HPCSA Call Centre or requesting the practitioners practising card (which should have the current year’s date).” Sekhonyana encouraged members of the community to continue to report all suspicious illegal practices by unregistered persons and welcomes tip-offs at any of our HPCSA offices across the country.
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