22nd February, 2019

PRESS STATEMENT- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Health Professions Council of Zambia- HPCZ has resolved to with immediate effect abolish conducting Professional Licensure Examinations, both Theory and Practical. As you may be aware, passing Licensure Examinations has been a prerequisite for HPCZ to issue Certificates permitting Health Practitioners to Practice in any facility within Zambia.

This means that Candidates who were scheduled to sit for the February-March 2019 Examination will not be required to do so but can proceed to register as Health Practitioners.

All fees paid by the Candidates for the February-March Examination will be channelled to their registration.
However, Foreign-trained Health Practitioners as per provision of Section 10 of the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 will be required to undergo Assessment Examination conducted by a Training Institution in Zambia, recognised by HPCZ.

It must be noted that the development does not compromise HPCZ’s quest to enforce high Standards of training, neither should it be perceived as leeway for Training Institutions to be reluctant in offering quality training to their Students because access to skilled healthcare for all, remains a priority for the Health Professions Council of Zambia. The Council shall hold individual Lecturers/Trainers accountable for any failure in the training standards.

Therefore, there shall be enhanced monitoring of Health Training Programmes to evaluate quality improvement.

The following are among areas that HPCZ will closely monitor in Training Institutions offering Health Programmes:

1) Enrollment

Over-enrollment of students which results in compromising the quality of training will force the Council to withdraw Certificate of Approval for the particular Programme,

2) Indexing

Students pursuing Health Programmes must all be indexed and only those that meet the entry criteria as stipulated in the curriculum shall be allowed to proceed with training,

3) Lecturers

The quality of Lecturers will be assessed on regular basis for purposes of making sure that their credentials meet standards to teach Health Programmes,

4) Continuous Assessment

The Council shall closely track the progression of Students to make sure that all necessary prerequisites are being met prior to proceeding to the next level of a programme. This includes verification of number of assignments and tests given to Students

5) Delivery of Curriculum

The Council shall further ensure close monitoring of the mode of delivery of the approved Training Programmes to assure quality for the graduand.
The Health Professions Council of Zambia would like to urge Training Institutions to come up with self-evaluation mechanisms as a way of demonstrating commitment to adhere to set Standards and ensure that there are quality improvement systems in place.

Signed and Issued by:

Mr. Bwembya B. Bwalya
Acting Chief Executive Officer & Registrar