Fake Doctor Jailed 17 Years in Hohoe

A self-styled doctor who was arrested at the Family Community Hospital at Hohoe in the Volta Region, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The convict, Fortune Kamasah, was sentenced on two counts of practicing without authority, and receiving payment for the practice of medicine without authority.

Fortune Kamasah had earlier in 2013 been fined by the Hohoe Circuit Court for practicing medicine without a license.

Speaking at a media briefing in Accra on Monday, the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council, Dr. Eli Atikpui, expressed worry about the increasing spate of quack doctors in the country.

20 quack doctors arrested since 2016

He said since January 2016, 20 quack doctors had been arrested across the country.

Ten (10) of the quack doctors were arrested in the Greater Accra Region, three in the Central Region, and the rest were arrested in the Volta and Eastern Regions.

Dr. Atikpui explained that, of the 20 arrested, five had been prosecuted and sentenced.

“Every Ghanaian is a potential patient, and that is why we must all ensure that any medical practitioner who treats us has the training, the requisite knowledge and skills. The concern is that, we are seeing an increasing number of people holding themselves up as doctors.”

He noted that “we are not able to really establish how much harm has already been done and how much harm would be done. So we need to ensure that the public is well-educated on the activities of these quack doctors.”

Dr. Atikpui said the Medical and Dental Council is putting in stringent measures to ensure that all persons practicing medicine without authority are brought to book.

Source: Citifmonline