A shocking revelation has emerged from the recent arrest of a fake doctor at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.
Investigations have revealed that the imposter, Taurayi Prosper Vanhuvaone, who masqueraded as “Dr Prosper Mpofu”, operated undetected from an office within the hospital’s premises for almost two years.
The alarm was raised last Tuesday when a vigilant nurse noticed an anomaly with a patient’s prescription and alerted the authorities. Vanhuvaone was promptly apprehended, bringing to light a disturbing situation that has left both medical staff and patients reeling.
“It is simply shocking how he managed to secure an office within the hospital, where he operated for so long,” remarked Dr Narcisius Dzvanga, Mpilo Hospital’s chief medical officer, in an interview.
“He was using the same room for all those months or years he was here. Someone gave him a desk and a chair, and he was taking patients from the queue at the out-patient department, charging them, and pocketing the money.”
Dr Dzvanga highlighted the audacity of Vanhuvaone’s actions, recounting an incident where a patient was left scrambling for US$12, the amount demanded by the fake doctor for his services.
“The poor woman was running around begging for US$12. If he had not been greedy and accepted the money, maybe he would still be seeing patients,” Dr Dzvanga lamented.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the security protocols at Mpilo Hospital and the potential harm posed to patients by such fraudulent activities. Dr Dzvanga acknowledged the institution’s regret over the incident, stating that it put patients’ lives at risk and tarnished the hospital’s reputation.
“What has come to the fore is that he has been around for quite a while,” Dr Dzvanga continued.
“I have been here for one-and-a-half years, and I never saw him. I hear he has been around the hospital for two years. I am told that even at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), he would pitch up and say he is in the Mpilo establishment and has been seconded to UBH for three months, so they would tolerate him.”
Dr Dzvanga explained that Vanhuvaone exploited the common practice of staff transfers between the two hospitals, claiming to be seconded from one to the other.
“He got to know that we operate like that and just joined in and started doing his things,” Dr Dzvanga said.
However, Dr William Busumani, Chief Medical Officer at UBH, denied any knowledge of the fake doctor operating within their institution.
The incident has prompted a critical review of security measures at Mpilo Hospital. Dr Dzvanga outlined the various protocols in place, including identity cards for employees, but admitted that these measures were easily circumvented by unscrupulous individuals like Vanhuvaone.
“We have tried to introduce identity cards for employees, but the moment when they know where they are being produced, they also get their own IDs,” Dr Dzvanga said.
“I was telling another consultant saying very soon we will be asking people to come with their pay slips as that will be the only proof that this person is ours. If you cannot produce a pay slip then you cannot be one of us.”
Dr Dzvanga highlighted the increasing difficulty in distinguishing between genuine and fake doctors, lamenting the proliferation of such cases across Zimbabwe.
“It is now very difficult to tell who is a doctor and who is a fake doctor,” he stated.
Mpilo Hospital is currently exploring ways to address this growing concern and prevent future incidents. The hospital is also urging the public to play an active role in combating this problem by reporting any suspicious activity.
“Gone are the days when doctors were few and they knew each other, when consultants knew all their juniors, now there are many doctors,” Dr Dzvanga said.
He also stressed the importance of patient vigilance, reminding them to demand receipts for all transactions and to be wary of individuals claiming to be doctors without proper identification.
