8th October 2022-
A 26 year old male has been arrested in Ndola on the Copperbelt Province for masquerading as a medical doctor and practicing as such without being registered with the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ).
HPCZ public relations officer Ms. Mwaka Namfukwe said the purported medical doctor was among the over 11,000 health workers recruited by the Ministry of Health in August 2022 and posted to a named public health facility in Ndola where he has been working from 12th September.
“During the recent HPCZ compliance monitoring exercise of internship sites, it was discovered that the aforementioned was not registered with HPCZ even though he was in possession of a purported HPCZ 2022 practicing license, which after verification was found to bare a certifcate number belonging to another practitioner,” Ms Namfukwe.
She said in addition to other criminal offences the perpetrators conduct is contrary to sections 6 and 30 of the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 which prohibits practicing without registration and holding out as a health practitioner, respectively.
She said the purported medical practitioner holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree, allegedly awarded to him in the year 2020 from a named foreign University but which degree has not yet been verified by the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA).
The purported medical practitioner is expected to appear in court soon.
Thanks for breaking this down into easy-to-understand terms.