A doctor’s assistant who apparently posed as a doctor was arrested last week after an intensive investigation by police.
The 37-year old woman together with a 73-year old doctor issuing medicine without a dispensing license was arrested by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit on October 10.
They appeared in Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, October 11 and were granted bail. The case was postponed for January.
The woman was allegedly working at a surgery in Arras Street and when the practising doctor was not around she attended to patients and issued medicine. It is believed that she even gave patients injections.
Police found a payslip where she indicated her occupation as a doctor.
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When she was asked for comment, the woman said she will let her lawyer phone WITBANK NEWS and slammed the phone down.
The 73-year old doctor was arrested because he issued medicine without a dispensing license. He used a certificate issued to his previous surgery in Ga-Nala.
Police said they found sick notes already completed by the doctor but without patient details and dates thereon.
All the patient files and medicine were seized by police.
In another court case a 38-year old Congolese woman appeared in Witbank Magistrate’s Court on October 12.
The sign outside the practice where a bogus doctor was arrested last week.
She was arrested after a team from the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, Witbank SAPS and Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA) officials swooped on Sunlife Medical Clinic on September 11 following up on allegations regarding doctors practicing without valid credentials.
The woman was arrested for fraud and contravening section 17(1) of the Health Professions Act 56/1974.
“When she was asked for her practising card she allegedly started searching for it. Her details were also missing from the Health Professions Council of South Africa registers,” said Capt Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi from the Hawks.
