Doctors hold crucial positions in society, entrusted with the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Their expertise, care, and ethical standards set them apart as trusted figures in times of need.
However, in the recent case of a KwaZulu-Natal dentist, Anwar Mohamed Jeewa age 64, a dentist registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) was expected to adhere strictly to the standards and limitations of his profession. However, the dentist violated this trust by operating illegally by offering treatment for drug and alcohol detoxification, gambling addiction, compulsive disorders, depression and anxiety under the facility of a wellness centre.
According to DRUM, From 2011 to 2017, Anwar operated the Minds Alive Wellness Centre in Westville Durban, offering drug and alcohol treatment and detoxification services without proper registration. The facility was neither registered with the Department of Social Development as a treatment centre nor with the Department of Health as a detoxification centre.
On the Minds Alive website which states that the company is permanently closed, Minds Alive presented itself as a professional therapeutic facility with six comfortable rooms, a jacuzzi, sauna, gym, clinic, lecture rooms and a diverse team including doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that Milos Martinovic, a Canadian and French citizen addicted to OxyContin and Xanax, discovered Minds Alive through its website and contacted Anwar seeking Ibogaine therapy for his addiction. After travelling to South Africa arrived at Minds Alive with OxyContin and Xanax, which he was allowed to keep. The dentist instructed Milos to continue self-medicating to avoid withdrawal symptoms while attempting to reduce his intake before the Ibogaine treatment. Following the last dose, Milos suffered a cardiac arrest and died as reported by DurbanLocal.
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