About 124 bogus doctors who have no legitimate qualifications, incomplete medical qualifications, and unregistered foreign doctors have been apprehended.
These fake health practitioners were traced and found by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), the statutory body established under the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974.
This was confirmed by Health Minister Joe Phaahla on Sunday, who said fake health practitioners, particularly from foreign countries, are common in the private sector.
“According to the Health Professions Council of South Africa, 124 persons have been arrested for practising medicine without registration with the HPCSA,” Phaahla said.
Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, chairperson of the SA Medical Association, said this is a problem known across the globe, noting that South Africa is not an exception.
Mzukwa further said these doctors are criminals and a risk to communities.
“There has been hundreds of people who are seen as doctors as they are practising out there, we have to applaud the HPCSA for having that inspectorate office that has cracked down on this matter,” said Mzukwa.
“Most of them have no medical training at all or they have incomplete training, as they operate as part of a syndicate. They fraudulently obtain practice numbers of registered doctors.
“The other group is doctors who have foreign qualifications and they did not register with the South African health regulator, they are deemed as doctors who are supposed to be practising in the country.”
The HPCSA is calling on members of the public to report bogus doctors, adding that if people want to verify the status of any doctor, they should call the HPCSA call centre on 012 338 9300/1.
Sunday World reported in March that two unregistered health professionals were languishing in jail after they were nabbed while practising without documents.
The duo was arrested after the HPCSA received complaints about a doctor who employed an unlicensed Congolese healthcare worker.
Christopher Tsatsawane, spokesperson for the HPCSA, said at the time that a joint operation between the regulator and law-enforcement officers led to the arrest of bogus health practitioners.
Themba Malebo was found practising as a clinical psychologist while not registered with the body and unregistered Congolese Benjamin Malonga operated as a registered doctor.
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