Is your doctor the real deal?

Calls have increased for the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to deal with the issue of fake doctors who now flood South Africa’s hospitals and private practices. This follows a clamp down by the Medicines Control Council (MCC), the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and police on doctors operating illegally throughout the country. This year alone, the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has investigated 400 cases of these suspicious doctors, 138 of which have been handed over to the police and 38 of them have been arrested.

These fraudulent practitioners can be found in dodgy downtown areas or hidden in urban mall hallways, operating in broad daylight. Their offices, rooms and equipment are all in check, but they are an increasing danger to the lives of unsuspecting South Africans.

As a member of the public you need to be vigilant of the type of doctors you consult with. If you are unsure of a doctor’s registration status, you have a right to ask them to produce their practicing card before any treatment. Upon registration with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA), a healthcare practitioner is issued a registration certificate with a registration number which identifies the practitioner. This practising card is valid for one year. You may verify the registration’s legitimacy on the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) website or by contacting the council’s call centre.

The Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has stepped up their game and are doing all they can to expose false practitioners, but they also rely heavily on the public for their help in reporting fake doctors. The public can query or report a practitioner by using the council’s website, contacting their call centre on (012) 338 9301, sending an email to webmaster@hpcsa.co.za or by writing a letter to the council.

References:

Read: Over 32 000 fake licenses exposed in SA,https://www.thesouthafrican.com/read-over-32-000-fake-doctors-exposed-for-working-in-sa/

How to tell if your doctor’s a quack, http://www.health24.com/News/Public-Health/how-to-tell-if-your-doctors-a-quack-20170904

Make sure your doctor’s for real, https://www.brandsouthafrica.com/south-africa-fast-facts/health-facts/fraudulent-medical-practitioners

Bogus Doctors are endangering patients’ lives, https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/health/bogus-doctors-are-endangering-patients-lives-11068883