MONROVIA – The recent revelation that a high-profile Liberian medical practitioner had been operating for over a decade without a verified degree has sent tremors across the country and cast a shadow over the country’s healthcare system. On May 30, 2025, the House of Representatives took the first step toward restoring public trust by instructing its Committee on Health to investigate the disturbing case of Mr. Peter Matthew George, whose medical license was officially revoked in April following a sweeping credential audit by the Liberia Medical and Dental Council.
Mr. George is no ordinary figure. He once held the prestigious position of President of the Liberia Medical and Dental Association and served as Chief Medical Officer at a major private hospital. His reach extended into Liberia’s largest public referral hospital, JFK, where he reportedly performed unauthorized surgeries. The scale and audacity of the fraud are troubling, but more disturbing is the systemic failure that allowed it to happen. For years, Mr. George claimed to have earned his medical degree from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. But as it turns out, the university does not currently offer a medical degree program, and its plan to establish one remains in development until at least 2026. This alone should have triggered red flags early on; yet somehow it did not.
The LMDC’s audit revealed that Mr. George presented an award verification letter that purported to confirm his MD and postgraduate credentials, both allegedly obtained in a time frame that global academic standards deem impossible. Typically, it takes more than a decade to complete both degrees. Mr. George attempted to validate his standing, but failed to produce essential documentation like an undergraduate medical degree or an internship certificate. These omissions were not minor oversights; they were foundational failures that make his entire medical practice in Liberia legally and ethically untenable.
The fact that a person without a verified medical education could ascend to such high levels of influence within the country’s healthcare system is more than an individual scandal; it is an indictment of Liberia’s regulatory apparatus. The LMDC’s decision to revoke Mr. George’s license is both welcome and necessary, but it also raises questions that go beyond a single case. Where were the safeguards? What processes, if any, were in place to vet and verify credentials before licenses were granted? Why did no institutional checks uncover this discrepancy earlier? These are the questions that the House Committee on Health must now confront.
Lawmakers have rightly called for greater accountability from the Ministry of Health, the Commission on Higher Education, and the LMDC itself. The fact that the LMDC only began a full-scale credential audit after Mr. George’s fraudulent activities were exposed suggests a reactive rather than proactive posture. This scandal has highlighted a critical vulnerability—one that, if left unaddressed, could continue to endanger lives and further erode public confidence in the medical system.
In response, the LMDC has announced a nationwide re-verification of all medical and dental professionals, starting June 30. This is a major step in the right direction. For the first time in years, there is hope that the country’s licensing process will be brought into alignment with international norms. Under the 2010 Act of National Legislation, the LMDC is mandated to ensure that only graduates from “recognized and credible medical institutions” are licensed to practice. Enforcing this standard without compromise is now more crucial than ever.
However, a credential audit alone will not fix Liberia’s broken system. Legislative reforms may be required to give oversight institutions more authority and resources. There must also be legal consequences for those who willfully misrepresent their qualifications. Mr. George’s case should serve as a warning: the practice of medicine without proper credentials is not only unethical, it is criminal. Institutions that knowingly employ unqualified individuals must also be held accountable.
At its core, this scandal is about more than just documents and degrees. It is about the sanctity of life and the obligation of the state to protect its citizens from harm. When people enter a hospital or clinic, they do so with a fundamental trust that the individual treating them is qualified to do so. That trust has now been shaken. Rebuilding it will take more than audits; it will take decisive leadership, systemic reform, and an unwavering commitment to integrity in healthcare.
