By Ayodele Oni
The mysterious death of a patient at the Ijesa-Isu general hospital, in Ekiti State has exposed the identity of the health personnel that handled her case to be fake.
The suspected fake doctor, Olalekan Timothy Fasipe, was employed about ten years ago by the Ekiti state health management board as a dentist but now a medical director at Ijesa Isu general hospital.
He was reported to have earlier been involved in a similar case at Ijero Ekiti general hospital where he was transferred to his present work place to cover the incident.
The Nigeria Medical Association, Ekiti State Branch has disowned the suspected fake doctor, who has now arrested on the allegation of Forgery of his full registration certificate with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, (MDCN).
Olalekan who is a staff of Ekiti State Hospital Management Board had been parading himself as a qualified Doctor without necessary certificate and qualifications.
In a statement by the NMA Chairman in Ekiti State, Dr. Babatunde Rosiji and the Secretary, Dr. Moses Dada said the association has been on a crusade to address medical quackery in partnership with the State Government through the Ministry of Health and Human Services.
According to the Ekiti NMA, “We are currently rattled with the arrest of Olalekan Timothy Fasipe, an employee of the Hospitals’ Management Board who also served as a member of Ekiti NMA State Officers’ Committee until his arrest.
“Ours is a noble profession with very high ethical standards as our calling places on us the demand to care for human lives; a calling which is tasking but also brings so much gratification to be privileged to have such a critical role.
“The training of medical doctors is rigorous and it culminates in the inclusion of a medical graduate’s name on the register of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria, whether foreign-trained or locally-trained.
“We have remained in close communication with the Hospitals’ Management Board and the State Ministry of Health and Human Services and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the case is thoroughly prosecuted.
“For the avoidance of doubt, anyone whose name is not on the register of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria who parades himself as a medical doctor is an impostor and a criminal”
“We are also using this opportunity to sound a note of warning to everyone whose name is not on the register of medical practitioners in Nigeria who may be parading himself or herself as a medical doctor in Ekiti State that the arms of the law will certainly catch up with you”
The leadership of Ekiti NMA expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigeria Police Force and Ekiti State Ministry of Justice to leave no stone unturned in getting to the root of the matter and expand their net to capture as many other impostors as may be within the State.
Ekiti NMA said since the case is under investigation, no further comment will be made in order not to jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
It assured the entire citizens of Ekiti State to remain calm as the relevant agencies of Government continue to work on the case and urged relevant agencies of government to ensure that all health practitioners in the State possess valid and up to date annual practicing licence.
The Association, therefore, urged hardworking members not to allow the current situation affect their psyche as effort is ongoing to continue providing uninterrupted clinical care to the teeming population of the State especially in the face of the increasing workload occasioned by the unabating japa trend.
