Somalia: Bogus Kenyan doctors to be deported from Puntland 26 Jul 26, 2012 - 8:52:45 AM
GAROWE, Somalia Jul 26 2012 (Garowe Online) – Three Kenyan nationals who claimed to be doctors were identified and will be deported after health officials found out that the three were illegally working in Puntland, Garowe Online reports.
The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that the three Kenyan nationals were handed over to security officials after they were made aware that the Kenyans were carrying false qualifications and were not authorized to work in Puntland.
Puntland Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Abdullahi Warsame
Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Abdullahi Warsame, held a press conference on Thursday and gave a statement about the incident.
“The ministry had found that the three were working as doctors and had been traveling across Puntland working as doctors. The ministry then investigated the three and found in that investigation that they had illegally come to Puntland and that there credentials were false,” said Dr. Warsame.
According to the minister, the three men were brought to Puntland by a resident, who had hired the men as doctors. However the resident did not register the Kenyans with the Ministry of Health nor verify the men’s credentials.
The Minister announced that all foreign health officials working in Puntland would be asked to verify the credentials.
“Anyone working as a health official in Puntland is asked to visit the various health ministry compounds in Puntland and bring their qualifications to validate their employment in Puntland,” said Dr. Warsame.
The Ministry gave a seven day deadline for foreign health officials working in Puntland to produce their qualifications.
According to Puntland officials, the number of unqualified health officials arriving in Puntland has increased with officials blaming naive residents’ that are focused on revenues instead of expertise.
The ministries have also come under criticism as they had failed to properly regulate foreign workers arriving in Puntland.
The health minister indicated that his ministry along with others have taken a lesson from this debacle and would pay a closer attention to foreign workers arriving in Puntland.
