A charge of fraud was laid at the Vredenburg police station this morning (Thursday, 21 August) due to the sale of fraudulent medical certificates that have skyrocketed in Saldanha and Vredenburg in recent days.
Sr Kobie Coetzee of the Profsurv Medical Surveillance Clinic on the West Coast was shocked to uncover the amount of this type of fraud being committed.
Their company has been providing services on the West Coast since July 2015 and considers the illegal sale of fake medical certificates a slap in the face.
They conduct professional medical surveillance tests and have maintained extremely high standards of performance for years.
To find out after ten years that their work is being imitated and sold for a fifth of the price is shocking.
The fraudulent medical certificates are mainly sold in the Middelpos informal settlement next to Diazville, Saldanha, and George Kerridge in Vredenburg.
The person who reported the fraud also implicated forged certificates from other similar companies, as well as doctors’ certificates.
“We have reported a case to the police so that the occurrence of the fraud can be investigated immediately. We have had a sudden drop in clients in the past two weeks, after which a concerned party came to report the fraud to us, with evidence.”
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993), all employees must have a valid medical certificate, which they receive after completing a medical assessment for fitness to work.
“These fraudulent certificates are sold for R150, while an examination can cost up to R700. We understand the need of the clients to find work, and they may unknowingly purchase a forged certificate.
However, the result can be a breach of trust for an employer if it is discovered that the employee submitted a fraudulent certificate,” Coetzee said.
According to her, all medical examinations are risk-based, for which an employer submits a Schedule 3 form before obtaining a fitness certificate.
During such an examination, the client will undergo a drug test, which must be negative before they are allowed on work premises.
The tests also include a hearing test, a lung function test, vision screening, a complete physical examination (including blood pressure, weight and blood sugar), and specific tests for, among others, heights, confined spaces for specific jobs such as drivers and operators.
The forged certificates have a different font, font size, use capital letters, and have file numbers allocated to medical practitioners.
However, the fraudsters do not change the name or designation and stamp of the medical practitioner whose certificates they are forging.
Coetzee urges all employers to contact them if there is uncertainty about the validity of a medical certificate with their logo on it.
Especially if it was submitted in the last two weeks.
Send an email to info@profsurv.co.za immediately or call them at 061 585 1459.
This is what a fake certificate looks like.
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