The lives of thousands of South Africans have potentially been put in danger after being diagnosed and treated by bogus Nigerian doctors with no qualifications.
While the surgeries were owned and run by two qualified Nigerian medical practitioners, they each allegedly staffed three of their practices with unqualified doctors.
The quacks - one alleged to be a gardener, the other a car washer - apparently used the qualified doctors’ practice numbers, allegedly with their permission, to work as doctors.
Their arrests came as the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HSPCA) slammed people purporting to be doctors when they were not. The council said there was an increase in the number of bogus doctors in the country.
The arrest of seven people - including the two qualified doctors, one of whom, Dr Wale Aremu, is based in Pretoria - comes after a two-year investigation by the Hawks and the Health Department stretching from Limpopo to the Western Cape.
Among those arrested was a “doctor” who somehow fraudulently found employment at the BJ Vorster Hospital in the Eastern Cape.
The police are believed to be investigating the death of at least one patient whom this suspect is alleged to have treated.
Yesterday the Hawks and a specialised team of Health Department investigators swooped on the Garsfontein home of the Pretoria doctor.
The raid on his home, carried out at the same time as those in Limpopo, the Eastern and Western Cape and Mpumalanga, saw specialised cybercrime investigators seizing laptop and desktop computers, and dozens of documents and files.
The suspects, whose true identity and South African residency statuses are under investigation, are believed to have been operating their medical practices for at least three years.
Within hours of searching the qualified Pretoria doctor’s home and his city centre practice - which offers HIV and Aids treatment, circumcision, child health care and driving licences - police raided his Atteridgeville practice which one of the alleged quacks was operating.
The Atteridgeville practice offers the same medical service as the doctor’s city centre surgery, as well as clinics for men and women.
As police and health investigations raided the offices and homes of the Pretoria and Atteridgeville doctors, law enforcement officers swarmed through the BJ Vorster Hospital and Limpopo’s Mahlala Hospital.
During a search of the Limpopo home of the Mahlala Hospital suspect, who is a qualified doctor, police seized an estimated R300 000 in newly printed notes. It is not known where the money came from or what it was to be used for.
Police said while the second genuine doctor was arrested at the Mahlala Hospital, one of the five alleged quacks was arrested at the BJ Vorster Hospital.
Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela confirmed the arrests and said the five thought to be unqualified doctors had been charged with impersonating a doctor and indecent assault, relating to the administration of medication to patients.
He said the five “quacks”, along with the two qualified doctors, would also face additional charges of fraud and corruption.
It is believed that the two qualified doctors will also be charged for contravening various health practitioner regulations.
Polela said their investigations showed that each of the two genuine doctors owned at least three private practices which they allegedly staffed with quacks.
Asked if the seven suspects were related, Polela said at this stage it was unknown. “What we can say is that they are all Nigerian.”
Asked how many patients the “doctors” had treated, Polela said an audit on digital and document files would be conducted. “At the moment we can only speculate, but given the time they have been operating for it will be a lot.
“What is so alarming and what we want to emphasise to the public, is that people entrusted their lives to these so-called authentic doctors.
“Now it turns out, they apparently knew nothing about what they were doing. Our investigation is now looking into a number matters.
“These include that these people could be responsible for the death of people who sought their help.”
He said they, together with the Health Department, had shut down the group’s bogus practices.
They had also confiscated medicines and documents, including Unisa qualification certificates which are believed to be forged.
“We are working with the Asset Forfeiture Unit to determine whether any of the properties, businesses or assets, such as luxury cars, were bought through the proceeds of crime. “If they were, then these assets will be confiscated.”
HPCSA acting chief executive Marella O’Reilly slammed the practice by bogus doctors and said there had been an increase in the number of such fraudsters. “These so-called doctors are not only putting the lives of the public at risk.
“The council can also not hold them accountable in case of negligence or complications as we have no jurisdiction over them,” she said.
Anyone wishing to verify a medical practitioner’s registration can contact the HPCSA on 012 338 9301. - Pretoria News