As part of their continuous effort to clamp down on individuals practicing without proper registration, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) apprehended an unauthorized medical provider on Wednesday in Chatsworth, located south of Durban. It came to light that this individual had been illegally providing healthcare services at a nearby clinic.
The HPCSA confirmed the arrest on Thursday night following a successful operation conducted in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The Council said HPCSA Inspectorate officials uncovered unlawful medical activities at the medical centre, where a man was found practising without registration.
"He was apprehended at the scene and is facing allegations of fraud along with violations of sections 17, 39, and 40 of the Health Professions Act from 1974," stated the council.
The individual is presently being held at Bayview Police Station awaiting their day in court. According to the Council, the probe also uncovered that the establishment was formerly owned by a registered HPCSA professional who died in 2020.
“The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) commends the diligent efforts of its Inspectorate Office following a successful joint operation conducted on Wednesday, 16 April 2025, in Chatsworth, Durban.”
The HPCSA requested the public to confirm the qualifications of healthcare providers through the 'Search the Register' feature on their site (www.hpcsa.co.za), reaching out to the Call Centre via 012 338 9300/1, or alerting the Inspectorate Office about potential unlawful activities at InspectorateOffice@hpcsa.co.za.
The HPCSA continues to uphold high ethical and professional healthcare standards in South Africa through the removal of fraudulent and unlisted individuals from the healthcare sector, collaborating closely with law enforcement agencies to hold violators responsible.
Statistics from the HPCSA showed that during the 2023/24 fiscal year, which concluded in April, authorities apprehended 24 unlicensed healthcare providers across the country. Additionally, another ten arrests took place in May 2024.
In the Durban region, two of these arrests occurred due to unregistered practice.
The initial case involved a 39-year-old woman who advertised herself as a legit healthcare provider on several well-known social networking platforms. The subsequent one concerned an unregistered male practitioner operating illicitly in the Sydenham district.
The HPCSA, the regulatory entity tasked with safeguarding the public and directing the professions, stated that being registered under the Health Professions Act, No. 56 of 1974 is mandatory for anyone wishing to practice one of the health professions overseen by the Council.
The SAPS have been contacted for their input, and we will update this report as soon as we receive their feedback.
karen.singh@inl.co.za