The Medical and Dental Council (MDC) has confirmed it has received 32 complaints of suspected quack medical and dental practitioners across the country this year.
Registrar of the Council, Dr. Divine Banyubala, disclosed that many of these cases were flagged by members of the public who suspected that the care they received was unsafe or that the individuals providing treatment were not properly trained professionals.
In an interview on JoyNews‘ The Pulse on Wednesday, September 17, he said, “In four of the recent cases we investigated, three came directly from public reports.”
“People went to hospitals, felt that the care they were given was unsafe, and suspected that the practitioners were not qualified. Our subsequent investigations confirmed those fears.”
“At the time of our last update, we had received 28 complaints this year. As of today, the number has risen to 32, and several cases are at different stages of investigation.”
He explained that the Council often conducts risky undercover operations, sometimes in collaboration with the police, to verify such reports.
These efforts, he noted, have uncovered unlicensed individuals posing as doctors and providing care that has led to serious medical complications for unsuspecting patients.