The public has the right to know about complaints against medical practitioners, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) said on Friday.
HPCSA Registrar Boyce Mkhize said in a statement that the public had a right to check the credentials and misconduct record of healthcare practitioners in South Africa.
"We post a list of guilty verdicts on our website monthly which the public can access to see whether a practitioner has been found guilty of misconduct," he said.
The details include which practitioner has been charged and the nature of the offence.
He said HPCSA was committed to ensuring that the public was protected, by dealing with complaints as quickly as possible, and practitioners not adhering to set guidelines were disciplined appropriately.
"This safeguards not only the public, but also assures the overwhelming majority of healthcare practitioners who do adhere to the strict ethical guidelines."
Members of the public can call the HPCSA call centre on (012) 338-9300 to check whether a practitioner has a complaint pending or a prior record. - Sapa