The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) said there has been a significant increase in the number of arrests of bogus medical practitioners by the Inspectorate Office in the 2023/2024 financial year.
Two of these bogus practitioners, who the HPCSA says posed a serious risk to public health and safety, were recently arrested in Durban.
HPCSA spokesperson Priscilla Sekhonyana said that during the 2023/24 financial year, 24 illegal medical practitioners were arrested nationwide.
Detailing the most recent incident, Sekhonyana said a 39-year-old woman was arrested in the Durban central area for practising as a medical practitioner while unregistered with the council.
Sekhonyana said members of the Inspectorate Office of the HPCSA, in collaboration with law enforcement officials, had investigated a complaint they received about the woman.
“The investigation also revealed that (the woman) had been advertising services as a legitimate medical practitioner on various popular social media sites,” she said.
She said the illegal practitioner violated section 17(1) of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974, by providing health-care services without being registered with the HPCSA.
The HPCSA said the woman was detained at the Durban Central police station and was later denied bail.
Sekhonyana said in a separate incident in Sydenham last week, Durban authorities discovered a man who is not registered with the council practising as a doctor.
“The culprit was arrested for (operating an) illegal medical practice and detained at the Sydenham SAPS,” she said, adding that during his initial court appearance, he was denied bail.
According to an internal police report, members of the Sydenham Trio Task Team received information from an HPCSA inspector about the bogus doctor practising at a Sydenham pharmacy at night.
A joint operation was formed and police together with HPCSA officials went to the pharmacy where they discovered a man offering services as a locum doctor. The report said the man was found treating a 4-year-old child, accompanied by the parents, in a room.
“Members and inspectors approached the man, who posed as a doctor, and asked for the necessary documents and he failed to produce them. He tried to flee to evade arrest,” said the report.
KZN provincial police did not respond to a request for comment on the arrest.
Sekhonyana said that since the current financial year began in April to date, 10 arrests have been made.
“The HPCSA hopes the arrests and possible prosecutions will serve as a strong deterrent to the potential offenders,” she said.
She noted that this surge in arrests highlights the HPCSA’s commitment to eliminate bogus practitioners.
“The HPCSA is intensifying its efforts to combat bogus and unregistered practitioners.”
Earlier this month, the HPCSA reported that two bogus practitioners were found in Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Sekhonyana said that in Evander, Mpumalanga, inspectors found a Congolese national working as a locum medical practitioner for a registered practitioner. She said the man was not registered with council and has been working illegally at the medical practice since May 2023.
The employer claimed he was not aware of the doctor’s registration status and said “his employment was for practical experience ahead of the Medical Board examination”.
Sekhonyana said the bogus doctor was arrested for violating Section 17(1) of the Health Professions Act and his employer would be reported to the Medical and Dental Professions Board for unethical conduct through the complaints handling and investigation division.
In Bedfordview, Gauteng, the HPCSA said an operation was conducted, together with police, and a woman whose registration with the council was erased in 2015 was discovered practising illegally as a physiotherapist.
Sekhonyana said the woman was arrested for violating Section 17(1) of the Health Professions Act and detained at Bedfordview SAPS.
The HPCSA encouraged the public to continuously stay alert and report any suspicious activities to the HPCSA at [email protected].
“Moreover, individuals can confirm the registration status of medical practitioners by using the ‘Search the Register’ tool on the HPCSA website or by reaching out to the call centre on 012 338 9300/1.”
The Mercury