Health practitioners registered and certified by the Health Professions Council of Zambia are health professionals trained in healthcare programmes to provide healthcare service(s) to individuals and groups in Zambia. In the previous article, HPCZ outlined the critical requirement and duty of upholding patients’ rights placed on health practitioners in the provision of healthcare service(s) in health facilities , whether public or private.
In this article, the discussion is tailored on the equally important aspect of healthcare service regarding the rights of health practitioners as they provide the much-desired healthcare service to the patients, clients or the public in general. This comes at the backdrop of developments pertaining to alleged falsehood and mistreatment of health practitioners in some health facilities by some patients or members of the public.
A particular case in point, is with regards a recent newspaper article in the Zambia Daily Mail dated Thursday, December 12, 2025 in which it was reported that: “A Patient has attacked a medical doctor at Chipata Central Hospital after she prescribed medicine which was different from what they demanded….”
The Constitution of Zambia, various international health conventions and indeed the HPCZ National Health Care Standards (NHCS) provide that health practitioners are entitled to rights and privileges. Below is the summary of the specific rights which health practitioners are entitled to:
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Be treated with respect;
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Practice under the scope which is legally permissible for his/her specific practice;
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Practice his/her profession as suggested by best evidence and experience;
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Decline instructions on how to practice his/her profession in the best interest of the individual patients were confronted with patient preferred treatments, investigations, or referrals or any other third party;
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A medical support or referral system to handle emergencies responsibly;
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All information about the diagnosis, medical and surgical history of patients for whom he/she accepts responsibility or referral;
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Practice their profession in environments that:
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Allow them to act in accordance with professional standards and legally authorized scopes of practice;
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Supports and facilitates ethical practice in accordance with the Code of Ethics; and
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Are safe and free of threats, intimidation, and/or interference; equipped with at least the minimum physical, material and personnel requirements and compatible with efficient patient care.
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Written policy guidelines and prescriptions concerning the management of his/her working environment;
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Proper orientation and goal-directed Continuous Professional Development (CPD) concerning their profession;
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Equal and full participation in such policy determination, planning and decision-making as may concern the treatment and care of the patient;
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To freely and openly advocate for themselves and their clients, without fear of retribution;
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Conscientious objection to carrying out a task; provided that; Such objection does not interfere with the treatment and safety of the client;
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Not participate in unethical practice; and
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Humane working hours, whether in scheduled daily client care or any other duties.
Notwithstanding the aforementioned rights, practitioners must exercise these rights within reasonable limits so as not to put others at risk. This can be done by health practitioners operating within professional, ethical and legal rules governing the health profession.
Therefore, patients and clients seeking and/or receiving healthcare service(s) including the general members of the public, are encouraged to take cognizance and uphold the position that while they have rights, the providers of healthcare services, particularly health practitioners in the instant, equally have rights.
As such, the practical effect is that in recognition of the requirement for health practitioner to uphold patients, clients and the general public’s rights regarding healthcare service in Zambia, the respective rights must be upheld and exercised concurrently, complementary or in line with the adage that where ones rights [as patients or client of healthcare service(s) including the general public) the rights of the health practitioners also begin.
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The Author is the Manager-Public Relations at the Health Professions Council of Zambia
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