Since last year, security personnel at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have apprehended 44 individuals for impersonating hospital employees.
Hospital officials report that since the beginning of 2024, 11 more arrests have been made, bringing the total number of people imprisoned to 33 in the previous year.
Hospital administrators stressed in a recent statement that many of these impostors were taking advantage of their bogus identities to trick gullible members of the public.
The hospital’s management reaffirmed its dedication to shielding the public from dishonest people who pose as staff members in order to commit fraud.
“Our security division detained 33 criminals in 2023. Eleven comparable instances have been handled by this department since January 2024,” the statement said.
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False medical professionals and educators who preyed on aspiring student nurses were among those jailed, along with crooks who targeted both employees and patients.
With almost 4,000 employees and 400 doctors, the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals admitted that the scale and complexity of its business made it possible for dishonest behaviour. But watchful monitoring teams routinely foiled attempts by these people to take advantage of the hospital’s infrastructure.
In addition, inquiries showed that three recent imposters of doctors did not provide any medical care to patients while they were in the role.
Douglas Mutoredzanwa, a Harare resident, was taken into custody last week after pretending to be a doctor and stealing surgical supplies from the hospital. In a similar vein, authorities detained Andrew Mapulanga after he made up a claim to be the hospital’s gynaecologist.