The Plateau State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association stated on Wednesday that they had apprehended a fake doctor for allegedly providing medical care in schools and places of worship in the state.
The NMA state chairman, Dr Bapigaan Audu, revealed this on Wednesday in a statement co-signed with the association’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Istifanus Bako.
According to the NMA, the individual who used various aliases such as George Ossai and Kelvin Paul was arrested in Jos after an investigation conducted by the association and officials from the state health ministry.
It was discovered that the individual was then taken to the police headquarters in Jos and held in custody.
The statement mentioned, “NMA Plateau, in partnership with the Plateau State Ministry of Health, has facilitated a discreet investigation leading to the arrest of another fraudulent doctor engaging in harmful activities in schools and places of worship across the state.
“The impostor known as ‘George Ossai’ and ‘Kelvin Paul’ was apprehended on Monday, March 18, 2024 in Jos and was transferred to the CID, Police Headquarters Jos the following day. The NMA chairman has given a statement to the police about the matter while further investigations are ongoing.”
The statement urged members of the public to report any suspected fake doctors to NMA Plateau State.
It stated that concerns could also be raised to the Inspectorate Unit within the state Ministry of Health Headquarters, Plateau State Secretariat Jos.
The statement additionally said “NMA, while acknowledging the cooperation of security agencies, advises the public to always seek the services of healthcare professionals within a healthcare facility (clinic, hospital, or medical center) instead of resorting to purchasing ‘medicines’ or seeking treatment from individuals claiming to be medical doctors.
“NMA will continue to aid the Government and citizens in providing an efficient and effective healthcare delivery system to safeguard the health of Nigerians; and to monitor the activities of these deceitful individuals disguised as healthcare providers who defraud the unsuspecting public and damage the nobility, integrity, and professional excellence of the medical profession and doctors.
“We also take this opportunity to call on other impostors posing as “doctors” to immediately stop their illegal activities as they will inevitably face the consequences.”
The PUNCH stated that the police had previously arrested a suspected fake doctor, Noah Kekere, in September of last year after he was accused of illegally harvesting a woman’s kidney during surgery.
The woman's husband, Kamal, accused Kekere of removing one of his wife's kidneys during a surgery in 2018.
Kamal stated that his wife, who had been experiencing chronic stomach pain for five years, was taken to Kekere’s clinic situated in the Nasarawa Gwom community of Jos North LGA.
Kamal stated that Kekere performed a medical check-up on his wife and determined that she had a ruptured appendix and required immediate surgery.
Even though Kekere was later brought to court, the state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association distanced itself from Kekere, stating that investigations showed he was not a medical doctor.
