Gauteng health dept warns of fake door-to-door circumcision recruiters
A viral video is circulating on social media, showing a woman allegedly recruiting boys for circumcision on behalf of an unidentified doctor in Tshwane.
The department said the VMMC procedure must be performed under safe, sterile and medically approved conditions.
'The safety and dignity of all residents is of paramount importance. Therefore, any individual or group found misrepresenting themselves as government officials or operating without authorisation will be reported to the SAPS and may face criminal charges.'
To prevent the spread of HIV and improve men's health, the VMMC programme has been widely promoted in South Africa since 2010, targeting males aged 15 to 49.
According to the health department's Project 300k campaign report which covered the period from November 2020 to March 2021, more than 4.4-million men had been medically circumcised in South Africa by 2021.
The report highlighted that the highest number of VMMC procedures were recorded in the Eastern Cape with 43,349, followed by Gauteng with 28,687 and KwaZulu-Natal with 23,738. The Johannesburg health district, Buffalo City and Gert Sibande district municipality in Mpumalanga were among the top performers.
In Gauteng, the health department has contracted qualified service providers to offer VMMC services.
'These services are offered free of charge and are only performed at designated approved sites. The public is encouraged to contact their relevant district health officials to verify the legitimacy of those rendering VMMC services.'
The department urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious or unauthorised individuals conducting medical recruitment in their area.
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