In an ongoing crackdown on unregistered medical practitioners by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), a bogus medical practitioner was arrested on Wednesday in Chatsworth, south of Durban, after it was discovered he was unlawfully practising medicine at a local medical centre.
The HPCSA confirmed the arrest on Thursday night following a successful operation conducted in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The Council said HPCSA Inspectorate officials uncovered unlawful medical activities at the medical centre, where a man was found practising without registration.
“He was arrested on site and faces charges of fraud and contravening sections 17, 39, and 40 of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974,” said the council.
The man is currently in custody at Bayview Police Station pending his court appearance. The Council said the investigation further revealed that the facility previously belonged to a registered HPCSA practitioner who passed away in 2020.
“The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) commends the diligent efforts of its Inspectorate Office following a successful joint operation conducted on Wednesday, 16 April 2025, in Chatsworth, Durban.”
The HPCSA appealed to the public to verify the credentials of healthcare practitioners by using the 'Search the Register' function on the website (www.hpcsa.co.za), contacting the Call Centre at 012 338 9300/1, or reporting suspected illegal practices to the Inspectorate Office at [email protected].
“The HPCSA remains committed to upholding ethical and professional healthcare standards in South Africa by removing bogus and unregistered individuals from the healthcare system and working closely with law enforcement to ensure that offenders are held accountable.”
HPCSA stats revealed that during the 2023/24 financial year ending in April, 24 illegal medical practitioners were arrested nationwide. Ten more arrests were made in May 2024.
Two of these arrests were made in the Durban area for practising without being registered.
The first was a 39-year-old woman who had been advertising services as a legitimate medical practitioner on various popular social media sites, while the second was a man practising illegally in the Sydenham area.
The HPCSA, which is the statutory body responsible for protecting the public and guiding the professions, said registration in terms of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974 is a prerequisite for practising any of the health professions registrable with the Council.
The SAPS were approached for comment, and the story will be updated once comment is received.