Doctors caught in the act

2003-11-15 19:32

Johannesburg - A woman doctor and her husband were among four people arrested for contravening the Medicines Control Act, police said on Saturday.

The four were nabbed on Friday following Operation Gijima Doctor (running doctor), when members of the Johannesburg crime intelligence drug task team clamped down on illegal activities within the medical profession.

Inspector Amanda Roestoff said the doctor and her husband, both 48 years old, were arrested as they left the Thembisa provincial hospital where the woman worked. The doctor also ran a medical practice at her Leondale home.

Roestoff said they faced charges of dealing in Schedule 7 medicines (which includes Wellconal and Pethadine); of contravening the Medicines Control Act by selling prescriptions; and fraud for issuing prescriptions without examining patients.

Roestoff said police also confiscated a quantify of medicines - some of which had expired in 2001 - from the woman's Leondale practice.

She said the pair would appear in the Alberton magistrate's court on Monday.

Following the couple's arrest the task team tracked down two Congolese men at a practice in Wolmarans Street, Hillbrow. One of the men, aged 42 years, was found to be a registered doctor, the other, aged 39, was allegedly not registered. Schedule 1 to 5 drugs were confiscated at these premises.

The two men face charges of failing to exercise control in the dispensing of medicines; practising without a licence; selling Schedule 7 prescriptions and other fraud related charges.

Roestoff said investigations were continuing and more arrests were anticipated.

- SAPA