James Abraham
The Nigerian Medical Association, Plateau State Chapter, on Wednesday, said a fake doctor has been arrested for allegedly carrying out medical treatment in schools and worship centres in the state.
This was revealed by the state chairman of the NMA, Dr Bapigaan Audu, in a statement jointly signed with the association’s public relations officer, Dr Istifanus Bako.
According to the association, the suspect, who used different names to ply his trade including George Ossai and Kelvin Paul, was arrested in the Jos metropolis following an investigation launched by the association in conjunction with officials from the state ministry of health.
It was learnt that the suspect has been detained at the police headquarters in Jos.
The statement read, “This is to inform our esteemed members and the general public that NMA Plateau in collaboration with the Plateau State Ministry of Health has facilitated the discreet investigation and subsequent arrest of another fake doctor carrying out nefarious activities in schools and worship centres across the state.
“The impostor who goes by the names ‘George Ossai’ and ‘Kelvin Paul’ was arrested on Monday, March 18, 2024, within Jos metropolis and was transferred to the CID, Police Headquarters Jos the next day. The NMA chairman has given a statement to the police regarding the matter while further investigations are ongoing.”
The NMA chapter, enjoined members of the public to report any suspected fake doctor to the NMA, Plateau State Chapter.
It also said complaints could also be channelled to the Inspectorate Unit, Ministry of Health Headquarters, Plateau State Secretariat, Jos.
“The NMA while commending the Security agencies for their cooperation, wishes to use this medium to enjoin the Public to always seek the services of health professionals within the confines of a health facility (clinic, hospital or medical centre) rather than engaging anyone selling ‘medicines’ or claiming to be a medical doctor.
“NMA shall continue to assist the Government and citizens in delivering an efficient and effective healthcare delivery system in order to safeguard the health of Nigerians; and check the activities of these unscrupulous elements hiding under the guise of health to defraud the unsuspecting public and tarnish the nobility, integrity and professional excellence of the medical profession and doctors.
“We also use this avenue to call on other impostors disguising as “doctors” to desist forthwith from carrying on with their illegal acts as the long arm of the law with surely catch up with them,” the statement added.
PUNCH Healthwise had earlier reported that the police in September 2023, arrested one Noah Kekere, a suspected quack doctor, who was accused of harvesting a woman’s kidney during surgery.
The victim’s husband, Kamal, had before then, accused Kekere of removing one of his wife’s kidneys during a surgery in 2018.
Kamal said his wife, who had been suffering from chronic stomach pain for five years, was rushed to Kekere’s clinic located in the Nasarawa Gwom community of Jos North LGA.
He said Kekere carried out a medical diagnosis on his wife and concluded that she had ruptured appendicitis and needed urgent surgery.
Although Kekere was later arraigned in court, the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, dissociated itself from him, saying investigations had revealed that he was not a medical doctor.
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