The police have issued a stark warning to the public regarding the alarming presence of fake medical practitioners and hospitals, particularly in local communities.
This cautionary note follows the recent arrest of an audacious impostor—a secondary school dropout masquerading as a seasoned medical doctor.
The suspect in question, identified as Tayo Shakirudeen, aged 37, was apprehended after a botched appendix surgery led to serious complications for a patient.
Shockingly, Shakirudeen had been operating as the MD/CEO of Skylink Medical Centre, located behind Uncle Bayus Schools in Elepe-Ikorodu, Lagos, deceiving unsuspecting patients and conducting surgeries without proper medical qualifications.
During an interview held at the Zone 2 Command Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, the suspect brazenly admitted to his deceitful practices, confessing that he had dropped out of secondary school. His audacity stemmed from a belief that surgeries, such as appendectomies, were less complex than portrayed by trained medical professionals.
Watch the interview of the “fake doctor”.
“I have worked in a hospital, so I was understudying the doctor when he was performing operations, especially appendicitis. I discovered that the operation is not as complicated as doctors were making us believe. I felt I could do it, so I saved towards opening a hospital. I later succeeded in opening my hospital in Ikorodu, and I have been trying my best,” Shakirudeen admitted.
The alarming revelation by Shakirudeen underscores a broader concern about the prevalence of counterfeit healthcare providers, a phenomenon he likened to other professions infiltrated by impostors. He likened the proliferation of fake doctors to that of fake soldiers, police officers, journalists, pastors, and imams.
The arrest serves as a chilling reminder of the potential risks faced by unsuspecting patients who seek medical treatment from unlicensed facilities or practitioners. The police have urged members of the public to exercise utmost caution and due diligence when choosing healthcare services to avoid falling victim to such dangerous impostors.
The incident highlights the urgent need for robust regulatory measures and heightened public awareness campaigns to safeguard individuals against the grave threats posed by fake medical practitioners and counterfeit healthcare establishments.
