Bhagat: Is he a cardiologist?

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Tuesday April 13, 2010 00:00

 

The BHPC is advising patients not to use Bhagat for cardiological needs and they threaten to take sterner action against Bhagat should he continue referring to himself as a cardiologist when he knows he cannot practice as one.

In response, Bhagat has threatened to sue the council for disparaging him. Dr. Kiran Bhagat has threatened to sue the BHPC after it publicly announced that he is not a registered cardiologist. 

He advised the council to retract the statement immediately saying that it holds no truth or otherwise face legal action. 'The statement by BHPC is devoid of any merit whatsoever and they have been called upon to retract it forthwith or face legal action,' he said. 

In a statement he gave Mmegi yesterday, Bhagat stated that he would continue practising, referring to himself as a cardiologist.

'In the meantime, Dr Bhagat will continue to practice as a specialist physician and he will continue to specialise in cardiology and cardio-vascular medicine which is his field of expertise.  He will also continue to refer to himself, quite properly, as a cardiologist,' it said. 

However, Joseph Makhema, chairman of the BHPC, has stressed that it is illegal for Bhagat to continue practising as a cardiologist without having been registered as one. He said they could not register Bhagat as a cardiologist because he does not meet the prerequisites for one to be registered in Botswana. 

He said that even if other countries recognise him as a cardiologist, Botswana does not. 'I can tell you for sure that Bhagat is not a cardiologist. We could not register him as one because he does not meet the requirements and he should not refer to himself as one,' stressed Makhema.

He emphasised that even if a person is a cardiologist by profession, he or she may not practise under that profession as long as he is not registered for it. 

'Even if one has qualifications for a profession, as long as they are not registered for that profession, they are not allowed to practice. You have to be registered with the country that you are currently practising in for you to be able to practice as a specialist in a specific area,' Makhema insisted.

He explained that Bhagat could have experience in cardiology but that does not mean he is one. 

'Most doctors and nurses have a bit of experience on cardiology but it would be wrong for them to call themselves cardiologists,' Makhema said.  He warned that action will be taken against Bhagat should he continue to refer to himself as a cardiologist.

Makhema says that Bhagat was registered by BHPC in 2003 as a general physician. 

A general physician is a practitioner whose practice is based on a broad understanding of all illnesses and who does not restrict his or her practice to any particular field while a specialist physician specialises in internal medicine or one of its many sub-specialties, authorities say.