HPCSA suspends paediatric surgeon over culpable homicide allegations

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has suspended a paediatric surgeon following his arrest together with a colleague over allegations of culpable homicide.

This follows a ten-year-old boy dying after undergoing surgery that the two had performed at a Johannesburg hospital in October. A hearing is expected to be held next year.

“The hearing was about, given the seriousness of the matter,  should he be suspended or not and that’s the decision that has been taken. Now the formal process will be ongoing. There are prescripts that need to be followed and once we have put the whole case together, it’s put to the practitioner. They have 40 days to respond and a hearing will be set for the date when the full contact inquiry will occur,” says HPCSA President Dr Kgosi Letlape.