- A 23-year-old woman reportedly worked as a Wits medical school intern at various health facilities.
- She allegedly performed numerous medical procedures without any formal training.
- The woman has been charged with fraud and is out on bail.
A 23-year-old KwaZulu-Natal woman faces a fraud charge after reportedly posing as a medical intern and consulting and treating patients at five hospitals in the province.
The Sunday Times reported that Nokwanda Ndlovu, a high school dropout, claimed to be a Wits University medical student and worked at several facilities between November 2017 and December 2019.
Her first false stint, according to police records, was in 2017 as a medical intern at Benedictine Hospital in Nongoma when she was 20.
The publication reported that she claimed to be an orphan who needed to complete her internship to finish her degree.
It also reported that the woman was arrested for fraud for impersonating a medical intern at Nkandla Hospital, but while she was out on bail, continued her “internship” at a clinic outside Pietermaritzburg.
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She has also treated patients at Hlengisizwe Community Health Centre.
One of the nurses who spoke to the publication said they had suspicions about Ndlovu because she did not know how to, among other things, stitch up patients, check blood pressure and insert a catheter.
According to the report, Ndlovu is due to appear in court on 2 September and is out on R1 000 bail, following her last appearance.
News24 reported in November 2019 that a 24-year-old man was posing as a medical student and was working at Mamelodi Hospital in Gauteng.
The man started working at the hospital’s emergency unit on 20 September last year. He was only caught after his friend reported him, following a fallout between the two.
The Gauteng Department of Health said at the time that the man was able to dupe the hospital by submitting fake documents, purported to be from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
– Compiled by Sesona Ngqakamba
