Law enforcement agencies are intensifying efforts to dismantle criminal operations involved in the distribution of counterfeit medical qualifications to individuals lacking proper credentials.
Recent investigations have exposed a flourishing underground market for fraudulent degrees and diplomas, enabling unqualified individuals to pose as doctors and nurses within the country’s healthcare system.
Shockingly, acquiring a bogus identity in the medical field is remarkably inexpensive. For as little as US$200, one can obtain a fake nursing certificate.
A full forged medical degree, complete with falsified academic records, official-looking stamps, and fake QR codes, is sold for around US$500—a small fraction of the cost of legitimate medical education.
The people purchasing these forged documents range widely—from actual healthcare workers aiming to illegally fast-track their careers, to complete impostors with no formal training.
These fake credentials are produced en masse using advanced printing techniques and authentic-looking security paper, often based on easily available online templates. This has made it harder for hospitals and clinics to identify fraud.
The Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ) has recognized the gravity of the issue. In an official statement, the NCZ confirmed that several offenders have already faced justice:
“A total of seven individuals were flagged for using fake practising certificates from 2024 to date.”
Over the past five years, there have been numerous incidents leading to the cancellation of certificates and criminal charges. In response, the Council has stepped up its use of technology, implementing new verification systems such as digital checks, holograms, and QR codes to improve document security and combat forgery.
Court cases have brought to light how effortlessly some individuals have managed to infiltrate hospitals.
In one high-profile case in Bulawayo, a man identified as Taurai Prosper Vanhuvaone pretended to be ‘Dr Prosper Mpofu’, working at two major hospitals for nearly two years before he was finally exposed and convicted of fraud.
The Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare has taken a proactive stance, becoming a major checkpoint in identifying impostors.
In 2023 alone, their security teams apprehended 33 fake doctors and lecturers. Another 11 were arrested within the first four months of 2024. In one revealing incident, a fraudster was caught after experienced staff noticed he was incorrectly handling an X-ray—holding it upside down.
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