23rd December 2018
PRESS STATEMENT- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Health Professions Council of Zambia- HPCZ has observed with great concern a growing trend where some health facilities are stocking and dispensing expired drugs and medical supplies. HPCZ recently conducted compliance monitoring inspections in Lusaka Province from December 3rd to 13th 2018, an exercise which has revealed high levels of noncompliance among a number of facilities.

Thirty two (32) out of one hundred and twenty (120) health facilities were found stocking and dispensing expired drugs and medical supplies. These findings signal an epidemic of expired drugs being administered to the unsuspecting public, but HPCZ will not allow the situation to persist as it compromises patients’ safety.The 32 noncompliant healthcare facilities have since been closed and will be dealt with in accordance with the Law.

In our quest to effectively protect the public and to ensure total compliance to National Health Care Standards, penalties will extend to individual pharmacists and doctors in charge of these facilities.
The health practitioners in charge of healthcare facilities have a professional responsibility to make sure that their facilities operate in conformity with National Health Care Standards and for this reason, the Council will summon the Practitioners who are in charge of the cited facilities to account for their actions and to show cause why they should not be held in breach of the professional code of conduct and ethics.
The Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia under Section 75 allows the Council to pursue heads of Institutions or Units in their individual capacity for any facility found in breach of the National Healthcare Standards. HPCZ would like to appeal to Health Practitioners to continue striving to uphold professional norms at all times. We wish to take this opportunity to thank Practitioners whose facilities were found compliant.

Chinyota Msimuko (Mr)
Senior Public Relations Officer

Press Statement Dated : 18th December, 2018.

Following the recent pronouncement by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to the effect that 30 Higher Education Institutions were not certified to operate as Higher Education Institutions, the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) would like to state its interest with particular reference to four, of all the affected Institutions.

Among the Institutions that do not have valid HEA Certification are City University of Science and Technology, Luapula Hub of Knowledge, Harvest University and Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management (LIUTEBM).

With the unfolding development from our counterpart HEA, HPCZ would like to inform students and other stakeholders that the four Institutions will no longer be recognised as offering the following health programmes:

1. City University of Science and Technology- Diploma of Clinical Medical Sciences

2. Harvest University – Diploma of Environmental Health Sciences

3. LIUTEBM – Bachelor of Science Food and Nutrition

4. Luapula Hub of Knowledge – 1. Diploma of Clinical Medicine  2. Diploma in Environmental Health

The invalidity of the HEA certification means that the mentioned institutions are not regarded as Higher Education Institutions and cannot be operating as such at present moment.

HPCZ programmes can only be operated by certified and recognised Higher Education Institutions. Therefore, in line with the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia, The Council has with immediate effect withdrawn recognition and approval of the stated programmes from the four Universities.

The withdrawal remains until such time as the institutions resolve matters with the Higher Education Authority. Once resolved, the cited institutions will then be required to reapply to HPCZ for restoration of their withdrawn medical programmes.

Signed & Issued by: Chinyota Msimuko (Mr)

Senior Public Relations Officer – 0979- 661252

PRESS STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8TH JANUARY, 2019

In the continued quest to safeguard and ensure delivery of safe health care to all, the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) will be conducting compliance checks for Health Practitioners and Health Facilities from the 7^th to the 22^nd of January 2019.

This therefore, serves as reminder to all Health Practitioners as well as Health Facilities to have their 2019 licenses renewed and validated, so as to avoid incurring penalties in the form of fees and or prosecution.

By the Laws of The Republic of Zambia, an employer who engages unlicensed Health Practitioners commits an offence under the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009.

Make compliance your priority because as HPCZ we have made it ours. Remember license renewal physical inspections commence on the 7^th of January 2019.

This is an official public message from the Health Professions Council of Zambia.

Signed and Issued by

Chinyota Msimuko (Mr),  Senior Public Relations Officer.

Press Statement Dated : 9th November, 2018.

Copperbelt University- CBU in Kitwe, Copperbelt Province has been ordered to immediately discontinue offering two (2) programmes at its School of Medicine for failure to meet set standards in accordance with the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia. The Health Professions Council of Zambia- HPCZ has withdrawn recognition and approval of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) and the Bachelor of Dental Surgery after a recent compliance monitoring inspection revealed gross over-enrollment of students, an inadequate number of lecturers, engaging unregistered and unlicensed lecturers that are health practitioners and failure to index students.

In the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme, the University overenrolled by 494 students bringing the total number pursuing this programme to 794. The lecturer-student ratios therefore, exceed the recommended 1 to 50 for theory for students in Clinical years 3 to 5 and the practical ratios of 1 to 10 for students in both the foundation and Clinical years. Additionally, all the 794 students are not indexed with HPCZ. Another major finding is the lack of lecturers in several courses including Psychology, Histology, Pathology and Body Dysfunction.

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Press Statement Dated : Tuesday 13th November 2018.

The Health Professions Council of Zambia has confirmed receipt of a complaint from the public on the alleged violation of patients’ right to privacy and confidentiality who were attending Anti-Retro Viral Treatment (ART) session conducted by Mr. Mwansa Chalwe, Clinical Officer General holder of license number HPCZ 10/2/14/06491 working at Nansenga Clinic in Itezhi-tezi, Central Province.

It is alleged that Mr. Mwansa Chalwe, posted pictures of clients (Patients) during an ART session on his Facebook page which violated their privacy and confidentiality. The alleged action by the Clinical Officer General was unethical and a professional misconduct.
Mr. Chalwe has since been served with a letter of suspension of his practicing license while HPCZ conducts further investigations into the matter.

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Press Statement Dated : 15th November 2018.

LUSAKA – Following exhaustive consultation and guidance from the Attorney General’s Chambers and relevant stakeholders on the legal mandate of Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) and Higher Education Authority (HEA) regarding the regulation of health training programmes at training institutions, we wish to jointly clarify the position as follows:

1. Both Health Professions Council (HPCZ) and Higher Education Authority (HEA) have come to a common understanding that there are deficiencies in the Bachelor of medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery Programmes being offered at the Copperbelt University (CBU).

2. CBU must develop an improvement plan which will address deficiencies that were observed by both HPCZ and HEA.

3. HPCZ and HEA are statutory bodies established by two separate Acts of Parliament, meaning that the two are independent bodies with interest of ensuring quality education of health professionals.

4. The withdrawal of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and the Bachelor of Dental Surgery programmes at the Copperbelt University School of Medicine by HPCZ was in line with the law as enshrined in the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia.

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Press Statement Dated: 5th December, 2018

The Health Professions Council of Zambia(HPCZ) is through this statement formally announcing the reinstatement of the two previously withdrawn medical training programmes at the Copperbelt University’s Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine in Ndola.The reinstated training programmes are Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery(MBCHB), and the Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

Following the withdrawal of the aforementioned programmes the Council acknowledges the efforts to correct the areas of want and or infringements by the training institution and is hereby reinstating the two named programmes.

This decision from HPCZ comes after CBU met the minimum prerequisites and committed to agreed rectification road map to continue addressing all remaining recommendations.

HPCZ takes this opportunity to thank the Copperbelt University, students, parents,sponsors,regulators,all key stakeholders and the general public for the support rendered.

Issued By Public Relations Unit.

Chinyota Msimuko
Senior Public Relations Officer

PRESS STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
18TH DECEMBER, 2018
Following the recent pronouncement by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to the effect that 30 Higher Education Institutions were not certified to operate as Higher Education Institutions, the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) would like to state its interest with particular reference to four, of all the affected Institutions.
Among the Institutions that do not have valid HEA Certification are City University of Science and Technology, Luapula Hub of Knowledge, Harvest University and Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management (LIUTEBM).
With the unfolding development from our counterpart HEA, HPCZ would like to inform students and other stakeholders that the four Institutions will no longer be recognised as offering the following health programmes:
1. City University of Science and Technology- Diploma of Clinical Medical Sciences
2. Harvest University – Diploma of Environmental Health Sciences
3. LIUTEBM – Bachelor of Science Food and Nutrition
4. Luapula Hub of Knowledge – 1. Diploma of Clinical Medicine
2. Diploma in Environmental Health
The invalidity of the HEA certification means that the mentioned institutions are not regarded as Higher Education Institutions and cannot be operating as such at present moment.
HPCZ programmes can only be operated by certified and recognised Higher Education Institutions. Therefore, in line with the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia, The Council has with immediate effect withdrawn recognition and approval of the stated programmes from the four Universities.
The withdrawal remains until such time as the institutions resolve matters with the Higher Education Authority. Once resolved, the cited institutions will then be required to reapply to HPCZ for restoration of their withdrawn medical programmes.

Signed & Issued by:
Chinyota Msimuko (Mr)
Senior Public Relations Officer – 0979- 661252