General doctors told to stop lying about being ‘specialists’

General practitioners (GPs) in Namibia have been warned against falsely claiming specialist status due to risking patient safety and breaching medical ethics.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Namibia (Sogna) has cautioned GPs against this, saying the practice is unethical, misleading, and in violation of medical regulations.

Sogna, a registered body representing qualified and registered specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology, says only doctors who are formally registered with the Health Professions Councils of Namibia (HPCNA) as specialists in the field are legally permitted to provide specialist services or advertise themselves as such.

The society says it has observed that GPs have been falsely presenting themselves to the public as specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology. Sogna secretary general David Emvula says the society decided to clarify the matter after receiving reports of misleading advertising and professional misrepresentation.

“It has come to the attention of the society that some general practitioners have been advertising and presenting themselves to the public as specialists in this field, which is both misleading and in violation of professional and ethical standards,” he says.

He says patients may not always be aware that a practitioner claiming to be a specialist might not hold the appropriate qualifications or registration required under Namibian law.

“Any unregistered practitioner claiming specialist status acts unethically, contravenes the regulations of the HPCNA, and may endanger patient safety and public trust,” Emvula says.

Sogna urged members of the public to verify the credentials of any practitioner offering obstetric or gynaecological services by consulting the official register of the HPCNA.

The body says these laws and guidelines exist to protect patients from misrepresentation and to preserve the integrity of the healthcare system. In a public notice dated 20 October, Sogna includes an official list of 70 registered specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology as recorded by the HPCNA, covering specialists practising in the public and private health sectors in Namibia.

“We encourage members of the public to seek care only from duly registered and recognised specialists,” the society says.

General practitioner Dr Cornelia Ndifon says she does not support GPs misrepresenting themselves as specialists, but acknowledged that many general doctors handle obstetric and gynaecological cases daily.

“When you are a specialist through the formal system, you have certificates to back you and are registered as such at the HPCNA,” she says.

She adds that general practitioners are the first line of care at hospitlas, where they manage pregnant women, conduct caesarean sections and, in some cases, perform procedures such as hysterectomies.

“A GP can have experience in obstetrics and gynaecology and work in maternity wards, not as specialists, but because they are general doctors, they treat a wide range of patients,” Ndifon says.

She added that some general practitioners carry insurance that covers them for obstetric procedures due to their experience and additional training, but says they should still not claim specialist titles.

“But I wouldn’t be surprised if some specialists feel hurt when general practitioners perform well in these areas,” she says.

HPCNA registrar and chief executive Cornelius Weyulu says before any person is registered as a healthcare practitioner of any category in Namibia, they must apply for registration and submit all required documents, including verified academic qualifications.

“The council carefully verifies the authenticity of such documents, the institutions from which they were obtained, and the registrability of the qualifications by the relevant regulatory authorities in the countries where those qualifications were awarded,” he says.

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