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TIZ dismayed by alleged Corruption at Ministry of Health

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) says it is dismayed by revelations made before Public Accounts Committee that Ministry of Health failed to properly account for K63 million which remained from the K4.6 billion budget allocations it received from Ministry of Finance in 2019.
Organization Executive Director Maurice Nyambe told Money FM News that it is also worrying to note that the Ministry awarded a US$17million contract to Honeybee Pharmacy Limited, despite the company having 17 irregularities as reported by Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA), and also allowed countrywide distribution of unsafe medical supplies.
Mr. Nyambe said it is unacceptable that the Ministry could relinquish the crucial responsibility by presiding over and facilitating a process that resulted in millions of Zambian citizens being put at risk as a result of using medical supplies that were unsafe.
He added that the Organization finds it shocking that people entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the health of the nation could put the health of citizens at risk due to the corrupt acts of few individuals.
Mr. Nyambe further said the Ministry of Health risks becoming the epicenter of corruption and that the revelations from the PAC hearing will do little to convince the general public otherwise.
“Given the pivotal role that the Ministry of Health plays in ensuring the good health of the nation, we find it unacceptable that the Ministry could abdicate that crucial responsibility by presiding over and facilitating a process that resulted in millions of Zambian citizens being put at risk as a result of using medical supplies that were unsafe.”
“This negligence on the part of the Ministry meant that frontline health workers were exposed to COVID- 19 through the use of the gloves, while users of the condoms in question were exposed to sexually transmitted infections and risks of unplanned pregnancies. TI-Z finds it scandalous that those entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the health of the nation could so recklessly put the very health of citizens at risk seemingly because of the corrupt acts of a few selfish individuals hell bent on stripping this country of its much needed resources for their own private gain,” Mr. Nyambe said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nyambe urged President Edgar Lungu to suspend Health Minister and the two Permanent Secretaries at the Ministry in order to pave way for a serious independent investigation to be conducted into the issues that have been raised.
He said the Head of State must also consider setting up a Commission of Inquiry in order to get to the bottom of the scandals and to make recommendations that all officials implicated face punitive action, including prosecution where necessary.
“In the wake of these revelations, we wish to strongly urge President Edgar Lungu to seize this moment and demonstrate his commitment to fight corruption, a commitment that in our view has largely been given lip service so far. In demonstrating this commitment, we urge the President to do the following:”
“Suspend the Minister of Health and both Permanent Secretaries at the Ministry in order to pave way for a serious independent investigation to be conducted into the issues that have been raised; and Consider constituting a Commission of Inquiry to get to the bottom of these scandals and to make recommendations that all officials implicated face punitive action, including prosecution where necessary,” he suggested.
He further reiterated the need for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other Law Enforcement Agencies to take keen interest in the happenings at the Ministry and conduct investigations to ascertain whether they need to take any action or not.
“We particularly call on the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA), which is mandated by Section 6, subsection 2 (a) of the Public Procurement Act of 2008 to ensure transparency and accountability in public procurement, to step up to the plate and take action against what is a clear disregard of the provisions of the Act by the Ministry of Health. Our suspicion is that the revelations that have come through the PAC hearing could be just a tip of a very big iceberg, and the need to reveal the whole extent of the rot cannot be overemphasized.”
Mr. Nyambe’s comment comes in the wake of revelations that Medical Stores Limited was allegedly authorized by the Ministry of Health to distribute leaking condoms and defective gloves worth over US$224, 000 supplied by Honey Bee Pharmacy despite the supplies failing tests by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), and the commodities are still in circulation since September 2020.
Revelations were made during the appearance of Ministry of Health, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority, Medical Stores Limited, Zambia Bureau of Standards and Honeybee Pharmacy Limited, before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

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