Admire Chisi (25) was finally rumbled when the head of
casualty took an interest, found the young man was remarkably ignorant,
investigated and called the police, who took him away on charges of
impersonating a public officer although other charges may be laid. It is
unlikely that he was paid, but that is not yet certain.
But what concerns a lot of people is how human resources,
security and hospital administration generally could admit him into the
building, let alone allow him to deal with patients, for so long.
Chisi took advantage of the doctors’ strike and the general
staff shortage in the health sector to penetrate the hospital system in April
this year, although that was when there was a tight lockdown and security had
been supposedly tightened. But the increased pressure on senior medical staff
might explain why it took so long to figure out he was a very bad doctor if
qualified.
Parirenyatwa Hospital yesterday issued a statement
confirming Chisi was a fake doctor and that they had handed him over to the
police.
“On October 20 2020, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals
discovered that the Accident and Emergency Department had been infiltrated by a
fake medical doctor who posed as a physician registrar.
“The matter was discovered after our vigilant casualty
staff doubted his medical proficiency and made some inquiries. The suspect has
been handed over to the police who are now handling the matter,” reads the
statement.
However, labour lawyers, medical experts and other
commentators questioned how the hospital could enjoy the services of a bogus
doctor for seven months.
They blasted the leadership for failing to properly
supervise staff while the security section of the institution was criticised
for laxity.
Top labour lawyer Mr Caleb Mucheche said the hospital
management exhibited negligence and dereliction of duty.
“Failure to detect such a bogus doctor for that long smacks
of gross negligence or dereliction of duty by hospital management, human
resources and security departments.
“The bogus doctor committed a serious criminal offence by
falsely posing as a doctor and endangering human lives at such a big and busy
hospital especially now during coronavirus.
“There is need for an overhaul of management, human
resources department and security departments at that hospital to prevent
future incidents like this,” he said.
Zimbabwe Medical and Dental Practitioners Council president
Dr Francis Chirowa said it was surprising that a hospital with sectional heads
could take that long to detect the fraud.
“One cannot just walk into the hospital and assume duties
of a medical practitioner without producing a practicing certificate. It is
surprising considering there is a head of Casualty who should be able to know
all the doctors under him and ensure there is a duty roster for all staff,” he
said.
Dr Chirowa said Chisi’s case was the third such fraud since
independence and measures must be put in place to protect patients.
“In the 1980s we had a similar case at Harare Hospital (now
Sally Mugabe Hospital) where someone masqueraded as a doctor. We also had
another case of another man who illegally practiced at Mpilo, United Bulawayo
Hospitals and Mberengwa. That one ended up causing deaths.
“The Parirenyatwa case is now the third one and there is
need for management at hospitals to be more vigilant to save our patients from
fake doctors,” he said.
A security expert Mr Brian Kashangura of Vandrift Security
Services said the case exposes the laxity of the security at the hospital.
“It clearly shows there are no systems to protect patients
at the hospital. How can a stranger work for that long without being
questioned? The chief executive officer should do the honourable thing and step
down,” he said.
Harare lawyer Mr Wellington Pasipanodya of Manase &
Manase Legal Practitioners said the health profession must introduce more
stringent security measures to detect bogus doctors in time.
“This type of mischief is common to many professions in Zimbabwe.
What needs to be done is to introduce an electronic tag system to identify each
hospital staff member using identity tags. Further, all doctors must be issued
with practicing certificates which can be produced upon demand by the general
public.
“Lastly, ordinary accountability systems like staff
meetings, duty rosters and random spot checks of medical personnel against the
database of the Health Professions Authority can be done to prevent a repeat of
this act,” he said.
The Herald established that police searched Chisi and
recovered a stethoscope, medical needles, medical hair caps and other medical
tools.
The Herald visited Chisi’s house in Ruwa where neighbours
were convinced he was a genuine doctor working at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
A neighbour, Mr Brian Chivona, said: “Admire stays here and
we know him as a medical doctor. He goes to Parirenyatwa Hospital daily. He
stays here with a friend and his sister joined him recently,” said the
neighbour. Herald
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