sxc.hu
The Health
Professions
Council of SA
(HPCSA) has
blamed itself
for allowing a
bogus
neurosurgeon to
practise at
South African
hospitals.
The Health
Professions Council
of SA (HPCSA) has
blamed itself for
allowing a bogus
neurosurgeon to
practise at South
African hospitals.
Qualified general
practitioner Nyunyi
Wambuyi Katumba did
not meet the
requirements for
registration as a
neurosurgeon, but
was registered with
the council, HPCSA
president Sam
Mokgokong told
reporters in
Pretoria.
“We are taking the
blame on this one.
The error lies
within us. Dr
Katumba cheated on
our system,”
Mokgokong said.
“He initially
applied in 2003 to
be certified as a
neurosurgeon in this
country. He sat for
the South African
college examinations
with other doctors
and he failed.”
Katumba, originally
from the Democratic
Republic of Congo,
worked in South
Africa as a
specialist from June
2007.
Mokgokong said false
information was
submitted to the
council in 2007,
stating that Katumba
had passed the
necessary
examinations.
He was subsequently
registered in public
service
neurosurgery.
After serving for
three years in the
public service, and
after obtaining
South African
permanent residence
status, Katumba was
registered as a
specialist
independent practice
on July 9 last year.
He previously worked
in Botswana and
Zimbabwe and was
fired in both
countries.
In South Africa, he
worked at the Chris
Hani Baragwanath
hospital in Soweto
and the Steve Biko
Academic hospital in
Pretoria.
He was fired from
both institutions
because of
incompetence.
“This man was
practising in the
country after being
registered. He had
the required
certificates to
practise that we had
given him,” said
Mokgokong.
Investigations were
underway to
determine who
supplied the false
information on
behalf of Katumba.
Mokgokong confirmed
that Katumba was a
qualified doctor who
had worked in the
DRC.
No criminal charges
had been laid
against him, said
HPCSA acting
registrar Kgosi
Letlape.
“We cannot be the
ones running to the
police and saying we
registered this man
while we were not
supposed to have
done so. He was
practising in the
country with the
documents we gave
him.”
Katumba had been
de-registered and
the council was
tightening up its
systems to introduce
double-checking,
Mokgokong said.
Two former staff
members had been
implicated so far.
Qualifications of
foreign qualified
practitioners
employed in the last
10 years would now
be verified.
South Africa employs
400 foreign
qualified general
practitioners and
500 specialist
doctors annually. -
Sapa
