Crime & Punishment of Friday, 12 February 2010

Source: GNA

Self-styled medical doctor jailed

Accra, Feb. 12, GNA - A self-styled medical doctor, Job Prosper Gomashie, was on Friday sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Gomashie, charged with false assumption of professional title, pleaded guilty and the court presided over Mr. D.E.K. Daketse convicted him on his plea. Gomashie, who christened his clinic "Safe Physician Clinic" at Bakpa Avedo, near Sogakope in the Volta Region, in his explanation to the court said he wanted to help his people with their health problems. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) P.K. Frimpong said the complainant was an investigating officer at the Ghana Medical and Dental Council, Accra. DSP Frimpong said on January 12, TV3 network carried a news item in which Gomashie presented himself as the medical doctor treating patients at the Clinic.

On watching the news, the complainant was tasked to investigate the background of the clinic since its name could not be traced in the records of the Ghana Medical and Dental Council.

On February 5, Gomashie went to the Secretariat of the Medical and Dental Council ostensibly to register the clinic. At the secretariat, it was detected that Gomashie was the same person who was seen treating patients on TV3 network. In an interview with him, it was also detected that the accused was not a medical doctor and he did not qualify to practise medicine. Gomashie was therefore handed over to the Police for further investigation.

During investigations, a lot of medical gadgets including surgeon's scissors, surgical blades, stethoscope, prescription forms, records of patients' laboratory request forms, assorted drugs and other documents with inscription Safe Physician Clinic were retrieved from the clinic.