News / National
Zimbabwe cracks down on fake medical qualifications
5 hrs ago | Views
Authorities in Zimbabwe are on high alert as criminal syndicates continue to produce fake medical and academic qualifications, allowing impostors to infiltrate the country's health sector.
Investigations have uncovered a thriving black market where counterfeit diplomas and degrees are sold openly. Nursing certificates can be bought for as little as US$200, while full medical degrees, complete with transcripts, seals, and QR codes, sell for around US$500. Fraudsters include teachers seeking promotions, nurses fast-tracking career advancement, and individuals posing as doctors.
The Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ) confirmed that seven individuals were caught using fake practising certificates from 2024 to date. Over the past five years, fraudulent nursing and medical qualifications have led to revocations and criminal prosecutions. The Council has implemented digital verification, holograms, and QR codes to secure certificates and works closely with police and employers to detect impostors.
Private hospitals have also faced challenges. Professor Johannes Marisa, president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association, noted that fake doctors have been discovered walking hospital corridors with stethoscopes, posing serious risks to patients. Notable cases include Taurai Prosper Vanhuvaone, who operated as "Dr Prosper Mpofu" in Bulawayo for nearly two years, and multiple impostors caught at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare between January and April this year.
The human cost has been severe. Children and adults have suffered permanent disabilities, complications, and even death due to misdiagnoses and botched procedures performed by unqualified individuals. Families, like that of widow Eliza Tasara in Chitungwiza, have lost loved ones after trusting impostors posing as medical practitioners.
Authorities are intensifying efforts to curb the menace, drawing on international examples where stricter vetting, surprise inspections, and whistleblower systems have been adopted. The NCZ and other professional bodies continue to warn the public and implement technology-driven verification to safeguard patient lives.
Zimbabwe's health sector now faces a dual challenge: combating the syndicates producing counterfeit credentials while restoring public confidence in medical care.
Investigations have uncovered a thriving black market where counterfeit diplomas and degrees are sold openly. Nursing certificates can be bought for as little as US$200, while full medical degrees, complete with transcripts, seals, and QR codes, sell for around US$500. Fraudsters include teachers seeking promotions, nurses fast-tracking career advancement, and individuals posing as doctors.
The Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ) confirmed that seven individuals were caught using fake practising certificates from 2024 to date. Over the past five years, fraudulent nursing and medical qualifications have led to revocations and criminal prosecutions. The Council has implemented digital verification, holograms, and QR codes to secure certificates and works closely with police and employers to detect impostors.
Private hospitals have also faced challenges. Professor Johannes Marisa, president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association, noted that fake doctors have been discovered walking hospital corridors with stethoscopes, posing serious risks to patients. Notable cases include Taurai Prosper Vanhuvaone, who operated as "Dr Prosper Mpofu" in Bulawayo for nearly two years, and multiple impostors caught at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare between January and April this year.
The human cost has been severe. Children and adults have suffered permanent disabilities, complications, and even death due to misdiagnoses and botched procedures performed by unqualified individuals. Families, like that of widow Eliza Tasara in Chitungwiza, have lost loved ones after trusting impostors posing as medical practitioners.
Authorities are intensifying efforts to curb the menace, drawing on international examples where stricter vetting, surprise inspections, and whistleblower systems have been adopted. The NCZ and other professional bodies continue to warn the public and implement technology-driven verification to safeguard patient lives.
Zimbabwe's health sector now faces a dual challenge: combating the syndicates producing counterfeit credentials while restoring public confidence in medical care.
Source - The Herald
