Online Check: Is your doctor registered to practice?

An online check could save your life, as thousands of illicit medical practitioners could be out there. Doctors in South Africa must register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to be legal.

Is your doctor legal?

Always look before a consultation.

Here’s how to check online for registration details.

CHECK ONLINE: IS YOUR DOCTOR REGISTERED TO PRACTICE?

South Africans can check their doctor’s registration online.

Fake doctors are everywhere. A fake doctor might look real, down to their prescription pads, but be unregistered. Look for a practice number first.

Practice numbers help to ID doctors. Sometimes, practice numbers are fake – or might have been deregistered before.

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) checks doctors and their qualifications.

Visit their website to search for your doctor.

ONLINE DOCTOR’S CONSULTATIONS: ARE THEY LEGAL IN SOUTH AFRICA?

Doctor’s consultations are legal on the Internet, says the HPCSA.

If you want to see a doctor online, options can link you to professionals anywhere. With a registered doctor, it’s legal.

An internet consultation is easier for doctors and easier for patients. An in-person consultation is also sometimes necessary.

Unregistered doctors are illegal everywhere. If you see something, you should say something.

CHECK ONLINE: THE HPCSA

The HPCSA lets patients check their doctors’ registration details.

Type in their name or practice number, and you will find relevant details. Reports about unregistered doctors can be made the same way.

An online check exists to reduce illegal doctors in South Africa.

Illegal doctors have achieved notoriety after ‘Dr’ Lani’s arrest.

FAKE DOCTORS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Report fake doctors to the HPCSA first.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) can also charge fake medical professionals in South Africa.

Together, we can stop the problem of fake doctors in South Africa.