In order to execute Council’s mandate of protecting the public and guiding the professions, Council has established the Inspectorate Office whose main focus and primary role is to ensure that registered practitioners comply with the provisions of the Act, as well as all rules and regulations governing the practitioners.
Over and above that, the Inspectorate Office is also responsible for the following duties:
- Conducting proactive inspections of premises to ensure compliance
- Assisting Professional Boards with the inspections on clinical and professional compliance matters
- Ensuring compliance with penalties imposed by the Professional Conduct Committee
- Collect outstanding fines and attend to criminal matters in respect of unregistered practitioners.
Of greater importance, the Inspectorate Office ensures that all unregistered healthcare professionals are NOT allowed to practice and those persons masquerading as healthcare professionals (bogus and fake healthcare practitioners) are investigated, exposed and criminally charged. This the HPCSA is doing to ensure that it protects the public in a manner that is consistent with its mandate as encapsulated in the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974
The HPCSA is working with law enforcement and other regulatory institutions in the health sector and members of the public to expose these illegal practitioners. On 17 February, the HPCSA was involved in an operation in collaboration with the Medicines Control Council and members of the Organised Crime Unit from the South African Police Service. The HPCSA received an anonymous tip-off where large amounts of medication ranging from schedule 1 to 6 were found either for state use only or had been previously issued by other institutions to patients.
The medication was seized and Dr Mohamed Ahmed was taken into custody at the Benoni police station where he was charged for contravening the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965. Dr Ahmed was granted bail to the amount of R20 000.00. He was scheduled to appear in court on 22 March 2017.
The Inspectorate Office of the HPCSA is fully operational and based at the Council’s Head Office in Pretoria, with a regional office in Cape Town, Durban and East London.
Members of the public are urged to be vigilant of such illegal and bogus practitioners and are advised to report suspicious activities of such to the HPCSA.
Last Updated on 28 March 2017 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs