Nkosentsha Khumalo
Police have arrested a Bulawayo man accused of fraudulently posing as a doctor and charging patients for his services at Mpilo Hospital.
The accused, identified as 29 year old Prosper Mpofu from upper Rangemore, Bulawayo allegedly took advantage of unsuspecting patients seeking medical attention, duping them into paying for his services and fraudulent prescriptions.
According to police reports, Mpofu was first discovered by a nurse who became suspicious of his behavior and lack of proper credentials.
After questioning Mpofu, the nurse discovered that he was not an employee of Mpilo Hospital and had been charging patients for fraudulent medical services.
One of Mpofu’s alleged victims, a 25 year old woman from Magwegwe, revealed that she had been referred to Mpofu by a friend and had paid him a total of USD$120 for an examination and medication.
Police revelations are that Mpofu first encountered a 25 year old woman from Magwegwe on August 17th, at around 11 am.
The woman, referred to Mpofu by a friend, had called him for medical services. Mpofu agreed to the appointment and instructed her to bring USD$120 to Mpilo Hospital for the consultation.
Upon meeting at the hospital, Mpofu examined the patient and wrote a prescription, which included an injection.
After examining the patient, Mpofu requested that she give him the money so he could purchase the medication on her behalf.
The patient complied, handing over USD$100 to Mpofu, who then left to procure the medication and return with the drugs and an injection, which he administered to the patient.
The patient, unaware of Mpofu’s fraudulent activities, trusted that she was receiving proper medical attention.
The following day, the patient returned to Mpilo Hospital to meet with Mpofu for a follow-up appointment. Mpofu requested the remaining USD$20 that the patient owed him for the medication, which she paid. No receipts were issued for either payment made to Mpofu.
In the following weeks, the patient’s condition failed to improve despite the medication administered by Mpofu.
The patient informed Mpofu of her lack of progress and he requested that she return on September 17th for a review. He also requested additional money to switch to a different type of medication, further exploiting the patient’s trust and vulnerability.
The patient, still unaware of Mpofu’s fraudulent activities, believed that he was providing genuine medical care and agreed to meet with him again on the proposed date.
On September 17th, at approximately 6:30 am, the same patient visited Mpilo Hospital’s casualty ward, where she encountered a nurse.
The nurse, sensing something was amiss, approached the patient and asked if she needed assistance.
At that point, the patient explained to the nurse that her medical cards had been taken by the doctor treating her, which immediately set off alarm bells for the nurse.
The nurse, with her suspicion aroused, pressed the patient for more information about the doctor.
The nurse who sensed that something was not right, probed further and asked the patient to point out the doctor who had taken her medical cards.
After some time, the patient was able to locate Mpofu and directed the nurse to him.
Upon examining Mpofu’s credentials, the nurse realized that something was amiss.
Her suspicion was confirmed when she contacted United Bulawayo Hospital, which Mpofu had claimed to work for, and discovered that they had no record of him.
With Mpofu’s identity as a fake doctor confirmed, the nurse asked for the patient’s medical cards back from him. When the nurse looked at the prescription, she noticed that it was incomplete, lacking crucial information that a legitimate doctor would have included.
Upon questioning Mpofu, he continued to maintain that he was a doctor from United Bulawayo Hospital.
However, the nurse’s quick thinking and attention to detail had already revealed the truth of Mpofu’s fraud.
Immediately, the nurse contacted United Bulawayo Hospital, confirming that they had no doctor by the name of Prosper Mpofu on staff.
Upon discovering Mpofu’s fraudulent activities, the nurse immediately reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.
Prosper Mpofu will appear in court soon.
“We commend the vigilance of the informant who saved the life not only of the patient in question but many who could fall for the same Fraudster,” said Inspector Abednico
Ncube, the Bulawayo Provincial Police Spokesperson.
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