‘Bogus’ doctor who treated patients for two years out on bail
The 56-year-old was arrested after it was found he had allegedly been practicing illegally since 2019.
LIMPOPO – A bogus doctor was arrested by members of the Thohoyandou police on 10 June after he was allegedly treating patients.
According to Limpopo Police Spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo, the police were alerted by inspectors from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) about patients being treated by a man whose name is known to CV at his private practice.
The 56-year-old suspect failed to produce legal documentation to prove that he is indeed a qualified professional doctor, and was arrested for contravening section 17(1) (5) of the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974.
He appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court the following day and was granted R5 000 bail. The case was postponed to 6 August.
The man was apparently registered as a medical technologist on 11 September 1986, but was suspended on 15 October 2020 for failure to pay his annual licence fee to practice.
He has allegedly been practicing illegally in Thohoyandou since 2019.
https://www.citizen.co.za/review-online/361825/fake-doctor-to-face-11-counts-of-fraud/
HPCSA’s Registrar and CEO, Dr David Motau said the HPCSA continued to uphold its mandate of protecting the public by clamping down on unregistered persons who practised while not being registered with the council.
This, he said, is done to ensure that healthcare practitioners who perform fraudulent activities such as the issuing of fraudulent medical certificates are brought to book.
“The HPCSA pleads with the public to be more vigilant of bogus practitioners, and also those practitioners who are issuing fraudulent medical certificates, as this endangers the lives of the public and has a negative impact on the employers’ productivity,” he said.
He explained that practicing while not registered with the council was a criminal offence.
The public can verify a practitioner’s status by checking the HPCSA register or calling the call centre at 012 338 9300/1.
