Security officers at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre on Monday arrested yet another bogus doctor after he was seen loitering around the hospital corridors.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Zamilu Michael, was arrested after some patients within the health facility smelt a rat and alerted hospital staff.
Both QECH chief hospital administrator Themba Mhango and Blantyre Police Station spokesperson Elizabeth Divala confirmed the arrest in separate interviews.
Said Mhango: “He was arrested by our security guards after they noticed him just loitering around the hospital corridors.”
This is a third case of bogus medical doctors the country’s major referral hospital has registered within the past 12 months.
The other two— Wongani Kandulu and John Ben Kamanga— were each sentenced to six years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) by the Blantyre Magistrate’s Court after being found guilty of the offence of impersonating a public officer contrary to Section 99(b) of the Penal Code.
Spotting some old rafters, alias gwaladi after popular street musician Joe Gwaladi, the suspect appeared calm as guards and police interrogated him while his stethoscope (an audio medical device used by medical personnel to listen to internal sounds of human body) dangled around his neck.
The suspect, a resident of Mbayani Township in Blantyre, but comes from Chatama Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kalembo in Balaka District, said his ambition was to become a medical doctor, hence his being found with the stethoscope.
Divala said the suspect had been charged with the offence of impersonating a public officer and was expected to be taken to court anytime.
Last week, the Mchinji Magistrate’s Court sentenced Veriano Fungulani, who was exposed and arrested at Mchinji District Hospital, to seven years IHL.
And in April this year, the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court also sentenced Rasford Gogoda to seven years IHL for a similar offence after he was arrested at KCH.
