A Bulawayo-based nurse aide who was dragged to court for
masquerading as a medical doctor on Facebook and accessing a laboratory which
was a restricted area to her has been acquitted.
During cross examination Ruvarashe Gumbochena pleaded not
guilty to contravening Section 121 of the Health Professions Act Chapter 27.19
which criminalises unregistered persons practicing as or representing
themselves to be medical practitioners.
In her defence she said she posted the pictures on Facebook
as a way to inspire herself to become a medical practitioner.
She said: “I posted my pictures on Facebook out of fun and
as an inspiration because I have a dream to become a medical practitioner. I
did put that caption that says ‘Doctor Ruvarashe Gumbochena, I am a dream
designer and I do not chase dreams but I design them into whatever shape and
size, I am just good at what I do’ so as to inspire myself in achieving my goal
of becoming a medical doctor.”
She went on to tell the court that it was not her intention
to represent herself as a medical practitioner.
The court heard when her former boss at Kes Laboratory
Edward Muringani decided to view his subordinate’s social media pages he
stumbled on Gumbochena’s pictures on the popular social media site.
Gumbochena allegedly posted her picture in a white jacket masquerading
as a medical doctor while she was employed as nurse aide and did not possess
enough qualifications to be a medical doctor.
The court heard that she also posted some of her photos
while she was in the laboratory area which is a restricted area and she was not
allowed to enter and her duties did not allow her to do so. The court further
heard that by doing so she acted against the Health Professions Act.
After a full trial magistrate Lesigo Ngwenya found
Gumbochena not guilty.
The magistrate said the accused must be discharged.
“There is no evidence to prove an essential element of the
offence. Therefore the court says in respect of these Facebook posts the
accused did not calculate the intention to commit offence to practice as a
medical doctor without being registered,” said Ngwenya. B Metro
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