Fresh arrest of another ‘fake’ doctor at QECH

Barely two weeks after the arrest of a bogus doctor at the country’s major referral centre, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre, security guards at the hospital on Monday nabbed yet another one as he “reported” for duties in Ward 3A.

The suspect first arrived at the hospital in the morning and left a stethoscope (an audio medical device used by medical people to listen to internal sounds of human body) and some medical books in the ward and told nurses on duty that he would be back.

The man then returned at around 11am only to find himself in the hands of security guards who had already been alerted by the nurses.

QECH chief hospital administrator Themba Mhango said there were five suspects and after arresting the first fake doctor, employees have been on high alert while trailing the other four.

He said: “We know them by face, but we can’t tell their names. So, when he arrived this morning, we had already set up our security intelligence.”

Upon his arrest, the fake doctor was found in possession of a College of Medicine (CoM) identity card (ID) bearing the name Zizwani Mwafulirwa.

During interrogation, according to Mhango, the man said he was a third year student at CoM Lilongwe Campus and was visiting a patient and a friend at QECH.

But after the hospital consulted CoM authorities, it was discovered that the ID was fabricated, said Mhango.

The man then changed his particulars, saying his real name was John Kamanga aged 24 from Chiradzulu and that he only picked the ID and books along the street in Lilongwe’s Area 23.

Mhango said Kamanga was also spotted on the day they arrested Wongani Akuzike Kandulu (whose name later transpired to be Wongani Kumbukani Kandulu), the first fake doctor, but since then he has not been seen around the hospital premises.

Said Mhango: “Our investigations have shown that these people [masquerading as doctors] don’t see or treat patients, but they are like middlemen. They know who works in the X-ray, pharmacy and other departments and convince patients or their guardians to give them money for quick treatment.

“They come here and pretend as if they are doctors, but their only motivation is the money they get from some patients.”

Blantyre Police Station spokesperson Elizabeth Divala said Kamanga, who hails from Mavila Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nchema in Chiradzulu, has been charged with impersonating a medical doctor.

“We are also investigating him to find out how he got the College of Medicine ID and the books he claims he picked from a street in Lilongwe,” said Divala.

There was commotion around the hospital premises as the suspect was being taken to police when people scrambled to take his photograph while others bayed for his blood.

Kandulu was also arrested and is currently answering to charges of impersonating a medical doctor.