THE Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has called on the public to be wary of bogus doctors who are issuing fraudulent medical certificates for employees who were unable to go to work.
This comes after eight workers and a bogus Zimbabwean
doctor were arrested last week after they were found with fake sick notes in
Benoni, Gauteng.
The suspects appeared in Benoni Magistrate Court on Friday.
The HPCSA has issued a statement warning the public about the scam.
HPCSA spokesperson Christopher Tsatsawane told the Daily
News on Thursday that the body was concerned about these fraudulent activities
and felt it should warn the unsuspecting public members to be cautious when
visiting doctors, especially when they will need sick notes to produce to the
employers as proof of their sickness.
He said during the operation, it was identified that Mr
Christopher Kutoka (a Zimbabwean national) was issuing the fraudulent medical
certificates to the employees and was caught red-handed at a nearby café
issuing the said medical certificates.
Tsatsawane said Kutoka was arrested for fraud and
contravening Section 39(1)(a) of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974, for
issuing medical certificates as a medical practitioner whilst not being
registered with the Council.
“We want to warn the public that practising whilst not
registered with the HPCSA constitutes a criminal offence in terms of Section
39(2). We call on the public to ensure that the doctor they visit is registered
with HPCSA by demanding to see the registration certificate, which must always
be displayed on the walls of the said doctor. The certificate always bears a
practice number, and people should contact us on 012 338 9300 if they were not
sure whether it was genuine or not,” said Tsatsawane.
“During the arrest, Kutoka was found to be in possession of
38 blank medical certificates, a stamp, negative Covid-19 declaration forms and
various other fraudulent medical documents under the name of Dr MLA Modisane,
adding that it was further established that Kutoka was previously working at
the practice of Dr Modisane in Daveyton.”
“One of the arrested employees had previously submitted
eight of the fraudulent medical certificates, while seven were arrested for
having submitted 31 of the fraudulent medical certificates.”
Tsatsawane said the arrest came as a result of the sting
operation of the HPCSA Inspectorate Office in collaboration with the Ekurhuleni
East Crime Intelligence and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department
(EMPD) Community Liaison Unit.
Daily News
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