The Gauteng Department of Health (GDH) has warned the public not to fall prey to bogus healthcare practitioners who try to solicit bribes before offering their services. Picture:Nokuthula Mbatha
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDH) has warned the public not to fall prey to bogus healthcare practitioners who try to solicit bribes before offering their services.
The warning comes after more than 120 cases of illegal healthcare practitioners have been reported in the last three years.
This includes the likes of fake Dr Matthew Lani and Dr Abdulkader Elyas.
In a statement by the department, a woman impersonating a medical doctor was nabbed at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) in Soweto on Sunday after she allegedly demanded a patient’s escort pay R700 for the “Dr” to assist the patient.
“The member of the public became suspicious when the bogus doctor, who was wearing green scrubs with the name Dr Zulu imprinted on the uniform, advised her to meet at the pedestrian gate where the said payment was to be made,” it said.
According to the department’s spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, the escort then notified the security personnel who eventually apprehended the bogus doctor at the hospital’s pedestrian gate.
When asked to produce her Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA) registration number and her persal number (personnel and salary number), Modiba said she was unable to provide the details to the security and facility management.
The hospital has since opened a case at Diepkloof police station, which Modiba confirmed that the bogus doctor spent a night in custody and was due to appear at the Orlando Magistrate’s Court in the area.
"The healthcare workers in the facilities will never ask members of the public to pay them directly. If there are any fees payable in the hospital, this will be done at patient administration and an invoice will be issued to indicate exactly what the patient is paying for," Modiba said.
The department has further urged the public to be vigilant by not falling for such scams.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
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