Unregistered stand-in doctor held after tip-off

Apart from Congolese national, second bogus GP nabbed for fraud

A CONGOLESE national was arrested in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape, for practising as a stand-in doctor while unregistered.

Kabasele Tshimanga was arrested at the offices of Dr Noxolo Khahla, who is registered with the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA).

The council said its inspectorate, in conjunction with the police, had conducted an inspection and arrested an unregistered locum, who works in the place of the regular physician when that physician is absent, at the medical offices of a doctor at Port St Johns. The arrest was as a result of a tip-off from a local practitioner.

Tshimanga indicated he had been employed at Dr Khahla’s practice since December 2017, the HPCSA said.

He will remain in custody at the Port St Johns police station. “The inspectorate ensures that unregistered healthcare professionals do not practise, and bogus healthcare professionals are investigated, exposed and criminally charged. Practitioners are encouraged to ensure that the locums they employ are registered with the HPCSA,” it said.

Meanwhile a bogus doctor, Zanele Eleanor Masondo, and a registered doctor, Robert Yeboah Frempong, will appear in eMalahleni Magistrate’s Court on January 30 for fraud and dispensing medication without a licence. They were arrested on October 10 by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in a joint operation with the HPCSA inspectorate and the Medicines Control Council.

The council said Masondo was masquerading as a medical practitioner while not registered with the HPCSA.

She was caught while treating and dispensing medication to a patient at a practice in Arras Street, eMalahleni.

The practice where the arrest took place belonged to Dr Frempong, who is actively registered with the HPCSA.

The HPCSA is mandated to regulate the health professions in the country in aspects pertaining to registration, education and training, professional conduct and ethical behaviour, ensuring continuing professional development and fostering compliance with healthcare standards.

“To safeguard the public and guide the professions, registration in terms of the act is a prerequisite for practising any of the health professions registrable with the council,” the HPCSA said.

The HPCSA says it is committed to protecting the public and guiding professions to provide quality and equitable healthcare for all.