A suspect who has been posing as a medical doctor in Bayelsa and Delta states has been arrested by the Bayelsa State Police Command.
The Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Asinim Butswat, announced this at a press conference held at the Police Headquarters in Yenagoa on Tuesday.
He added the fake medical practitioner has been posing as Dr. Charles Umeh, a serving medical doctor in Taraba state, while his real identity is Akpoviri Vincent Jimmy.
Mr. Butswat said the suspect is Urhobo from Ethiope West local government area of Delta State, and was first discovered in Ughelli when he did not know the correct terminologies a qualified medical doctor should know and use.
He said the suspect claimed to be employed in a Bayelsa hospital, prompting the Ughelli hospital to investigate him, and that he will be charged in court once the inquiry is completed.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Sawyer Wisdom stated that such activities are what the state government does not like to hear, where people come in to harm residents of the state.
He said the Ministry of Health has the capacity to detect any quack, noting that the Anti Quackery Bill is already in the state House of Assembly.
Dr. Sawyer added that this was just the beginning as they would continue to clamp down on quacks and impostors, advising such people to either quit or get the proper training.
The State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Ngowari Torunana said he got the information on Monday from Tobis Clinic that they had restrained a fake medical doctor.
He said he was informed by one Prof. Ligha of the development, who said the suspect had come to seek employment in Tobis Clinic as a resident doctor.
According to him, after submitting his credentials in the Clinic, he returned to Delta State and raised suspicion in the hospital when he requested that an Xray of the waist be carried out on a patient.
Dr. Torunana said he told the hospital in Ughelli that he was working as a medical doctor in Tobis Clinic for four months and handles most of their surgeries.
When the suspect returned to Tobis Clinic to follow up on his job application, he was held down by staff of the Clinic who invited the police from Akenfa 2 division and they arrested him.
Dr. Torunana stated that the NMA will not condone such activities, saying such people will be fished out, advising them to quietly disengage and leave the state.
The 49 year old suspect, Mr. Akpoviri Vincent Jimmy revealed to newsmen that he is a graduate of Psychology from Delta State University.
He claimed that he has some medical understanding, which is why he engaged in such activities, and that he utilized his friend, Dr. Charles Umeh’s credentials without his knowledge.
According to him, he got his knowledge of medicine while working as a P.A to the late Dr. Ajoke in Sapele, adding that he had not worked as a medical doctor before and only started parading himself as one recently.
