A NURSE at the United Bulawayo Hospitals has been arrested on allegations of faking a letter referring a patient for medical examination in South Africa.
BY SILAS NKALA
Mpilo Sibanda (35) of Woodlands in Bulawayo pleaded not guilty to the forgery charge, when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove. The magistrate remanded him out of custody to today for judgment.
Prosecutor Kudakwashe Jaravaza told the court that between May 16 and August 15 2016, Sibanda originated a fake referral letter for a patient Lorah Mlilo of Nkulumane in Bulawayo for her to obtain a CT scan in South Africa.
Sibanda allegedly used the UBH logo and stamp and wrote a non-existing Dr R Kenge as the originator of the letter. The letter was intercepted by the UBH authorities, while in the hands of the patient.
The matter, in which UBH operations director, Debra Ndlovu, is the complainant was reported to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest.
In his defence, Sibanda submitted that he knew Mlilo, as they come from the same area in their rural home.
“She came to me and asked me to assist her by a doctor. I assisted her X-rays were done. She was asked to do a scan. She told me that a scan was expensive to do here and she would rather go to do scan in SA. That was the last time I heard of her. I never wrote a referral letter. I have no access to the place where stamps are found,” he submitted.
