The Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) has welcomed the recent conviction and sentencing of Reuben Mumba, a Grade 11 school dropout of Mpulungu District in Northern Province who was practising as a health practitioner without registration and operating a health facility without a license, contrary to provisions of Sections 6 and 36 of the Health Professions Act No. 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia.
HPCZ Senior Public Relations officer Terry Musonda explained that In October 2021, HPCZ working with the Zambia Police, Drug Enforcement Commission and the District Health Office discovered Mr. Mumba in his grocery store attempting to inject a drug namely gentamycin into a patient who presented complaints of a sexually transmitted infection.
He said Mr. Mumba was not a registered health practitioner neither was his grocery store a licensed health facility and therefore acted contrary to the Health Professions Act.
Mr. Musonda pleaded guilty to both charges and the Court sentenced him to a fine, in default of which he would serve nine (9) months imprisonment.
“HPCZ hopes that the conviction and sentencing of Mr. Mumba would serve as a deterrent to would be offenders,” Mr Musonda said.
He stated that HPCZ shall continue to ensure that members of the public are protected from unsafe practices in the health profession and those found contravening the Health Professions Act are brought to book.
He added that HPCZ will continue to monitor operations of all health facilities operating in Zambia and conduct of health practitioners for the promotion of compliance to National Healthcare Standards.