By Paidamoyo Chipunza
A storm is brewing between Trauma Centre owner Dr Vivek Solanki and the Medicines and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ) on the status of foreign doctors who were recently arrested at the private health institution for working without licences.
While Dr Solanki claimed that the doctors were in the country for continual professional development activities, the MDPCZ insisted that the doctors were actually consulting patients in violation of sections of the Health Professions Act.
MDPCZ registrar Mrs Josephine Mwakutuya said last Wednesday, she received a call from a Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZiMA) member, advising her that Dr Solanki was inviting doctors to bring in their patients to his hospital for free medical consultations by the unregistered visiting Indian doctors.
Some of the WhatsApp messages allegedly sent by Dr Solanki read: “Hello. Don’t forget the Indian specialists will be at Trauma this Thursday at 14:30. Bring your patients.”
In the group conversation, a Dr Mayida questioned what the doctors were coming to do, to which Dr Solanki responded that they would be offering orthopaedic and cardiovascular consultations or opinions for free – in violation of laws governing medical practice in Zimbabwe by foreign doctors.
Section 121 of the Health Professions Act (Chapter 27:19) (a) reads: “Any person who is not registered as a medical practitioner and who practises or carries on business as a medical practitioner, whether or not he purports to be registered; or performs or undertakes to perform any act specially pertaining to the practice of a medical practitioner; or pretends or, by any means whatsoever, holds himself out to be a medical practitioner, whether or not purporting to be registered; or uses the title of medical practitioner or any name, title, description or symbol indicating or calculated to lead persons to infer that he possesses a degree, diploma or other qualification as a medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, physician or surgeon or that he is registered as a medical practitioner under this Act; shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level ten or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.”
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Source: Nehandaradio
