Mozambique: North Korean doctors arrested in Pemba on charges of setting up clandestine clinic – DW

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Mozambique: North Korean doctors arrested in Pemba on charges of setting up clandestine clinic – DW

11:22 CAT | 14 Nov 2019

Surgical material seized at the clandestine clinic in Pemba, [Photo: DW]

Six North Korean doctors face criminal prosecution for setting up a private clinic allegedly using equipment from the Mozambican National Health System. The authorities are continuing to investigate the possible involvement of Mozambican doctors.

Six doctors from North Korea assigned to Pemba Provincial Hospital in Cabo Delgado province allegedly set up an illegal private clinic treating patients in Pemba’s Natite neighbourhood, using material diverted from Mozambique’s National Health System.

The clinic was closed down after members of the public noticed unusual numbers of patients in the area and alerted the Provincial Health Inspectorate. Inspectors and police officers entered the residence where the private clinic was operating and found patients being treated.

The operation, carried out two weeks ago, resulted in the seizure of various clinical supplies.

“The medicines and other consumables come from our health services, greatly undermining patient care in the hospital,” Cabo Delgado health inspector João Nalumbau said.

“These employees are not working alone. We believe other colleagues are involved. We will continue to investigate how this material came to be diverted from the hospital,” he added.

Poor service

At the time the clinic was shut down, four people were discovered – two patients and two people accompanying them. The patients told journalists they preferred the clinic because the quality of service was better than that at the provincial hospital.

Mosambik, Cabo Delgado: Illegale Klinik in Pemba — *Cabo Delgado health inspector João José Nalumbau*

Adamo Onofre was accompanying his wife to the clinic. “We had been to the hospital several times, but without result. They [at the hospital] told us she had a disease which must be taken outside [to the healer]. She took the medicine from there, but the disease persisted. We went back to the hospital, but the situation remained the same. That’s why we came here,” he says.

Cabo Delgado police say individuals connected to the case have been arrested and the case has been referred to the Public Prosecution Service.

“What we do know is that this clinic had all the medical appliances needed to attend to patients,” Augusto Guta, a spokesman for the Provincial Police Command, said. “For us, this is a criminal and illegal activity, so as a form of criminal accountability we arrested these individuals, issued the notice of complaint and referred the case to the Attorney General for further proceedings.”

DW Africa tried to speak to the doctors concerned, without success. Those accused declined to make a statement to the press.

Source: Deutsche Welle