Johannesburg - Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu has fired two fake doctors who claimed to have authentic medical qualifications.
Mahlangu revealed on Monday she had fired the two for misrepresenting their qualifications to the Department of Health.
Gauteng Health Department spokesman Prince Hamnca said the qualifications verification process had been continuing since Mahlangu took office, and worked to root out corruption and fraud in the department.
He said the pair were fired after internal investigations.
“The MEC emphasised that we can’t compromise when it comes to the qualifications and, in particular, medical doctors in the department.
“She also emphasised that, in future, any medical doctor seeking employment in Gauteng should also directly submit copies of their qualifications to her department for verification to avoid dire consequences.”
Hamnca said Mahlangu believed strongly that her department was providing a service that was based on trust.
“If these medical doctors can’t provide proof of their qualifications, what about the health and safety of our people?” he asked.
Hamnca declined to say in which institutions the bogus doctors were working.
Sources within the department told The Star that there were other doctors who had falsified their qualifications.
The sources said most of them claimed to be in possession of the minimum qualification of medicine – a bachelor of medicine and a bachelor of surgery degree.
A source said others had challenged their dismissals in court. “Their dismissals have now been put on hold,” one of the sources said.
Later, Hamnca confirmed the other cases but added that the department didn’t want to make pronouncements on them because their cases were before the courts.
“I must emphasise that the MEC respects the court processes but she also thinks that the onus was on these doctors to prove that they were in possession of those medical qualifications,” he said.
The department also announced that eight other officials – three administration clerks, two nursing auxiliary, two household workers and a porter – had been fired for falsifying their matric certificates.
“There is sufficient case law to warrant the department and employers in general to take strong action against employees who are not entirely honest during the employment selection process. The process of verification is ongoing,” Hamnca said.
The Star