“I regret my decision” – Mom’s 8-Year Old Hospitalised After Circumcision By Suspended Doctor

A Limpopo mother, Doris Mosena, regrets her decision to have her eight-year-old son, Thapelo, circumcised at a make-shift surgery operated by a suspended doctor. Mosena paid R500 for the procedure, which took place at an old shop in her village, Slaaphoek, on June 22. She learned about the doctor from other community members despite his previous suspension by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Initially, her son experienced severe pain and the wound became septic, leading to a week-long hospital stay at Towerfontein Clinic and later Helen Franz Hospital. Five other boys sought medical care after the procedures at the same surgery.

The police arrested a 66-year-old doctor on July 9 after investigating the premises where he carried out the circumcisions. They found the room unhygienic, lacking running water, and with blackened walls from firewood burning inside. The suspect was taken into custody for fraud and contravening the Health Professions Act. He appeared in Senwabarwana Magistrate's Court on July 8 and was granted R2,000 bail, with a court appearance scheduled for September 15.

The HPCSA confirmed the doctor's suspension in 2021 for unauthorized circumcisions and urged the public to verify healthcare practitioners' registration status through the iRegister tool or report suspected illegal practices.