One person has been cited in Mpulungu District of Northern Province for providing healthcare services without any prior training in the health profession and registration with the Health Professions Council of Zambia.
HPCZ Senior Public Relations Officer Terry Musonda said Reuben Mumba, male aged 45 has since been charged and arrested for practicing as a health practitioner contrary to Sections 6 and 30 of the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia and for operating an unlicensed health facility contrary to Section 36 of the same Act.
Musonda said Until his arrest, Mr. Mumba had been operating a grocery store at Muzabwera Market where he also sold and administered various medicines among them injectables including suspected Aminophylline, Gentamycin and Doxycycline.
“Mr. Mumba was found behind the door of his grocery store where he was intercepted before he could inject unknown medicines into a patient who went to him complaining of a suspected Sexually Transmitted Infection, After questioning, Mr. Mumba admitted being a Grade Eleven (11) drop-out and having never undergone any health training,” Musonda said.
Musonda added that the matter is expected to proceed to Court next week.
“Following recent media reports about illegal health facilities and unlicensed persons offering health services in Mpulungu, HPCZ working in collaboration with the Mpulungu District Health Office, Zambia Police, the Drug Enforcement Commission and other authorities conducted an inspection in the District,” He explained.
“The joint team has continued to monitor the situation in Mpulungu District and various parts of the Country to ensure that only trained, competent and licensed health practitioners and health facilities operate as such,” He said.
Musonda has since encourage members of the public to be seeking healthcare services from licensed health facilities where they will have access to trained and competent health practitioners.
He stated that every health facility operating in Zambia is required to display, in a prominent place, their valid HPCZ license and those of health practitioners operating at that facility.
“Similarly, a patient has the right to demand to see the facility license and any other licenses including of any health practitioner attending to them,” He added.
