• It’s not enough to recall the defective medical supplies.
• They have put the lives of Health workers at risk.
• Government urged to move in and replace them with proper ones.

Zambia Union of Nurses Organization (ZUNO) says it is not enough to recall the defective Honeybee medical supplies which have been in circulation and utilization since September 2020.
Organization General Secretary Fray Michelo told Money FM News that in as much the Nurses Organization supports the idea of recalling the defective items, the supplies have also put health workers at risk of exposure to various infectious materials through the use of defective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Mr. Michelo stressed the need for an immediate investigation into the procurement and authorization to distribute defective medical supplies and essential drugs in the country.
“The Zambia Union of Nurses Organization (ZUNO) is calling for an immediate investigation into the procurement and authorization to distribute defective medical supplies and essential drugs in the country.”
“In as much as we support the idea of recalling the defective items, it is not enough as the supplies have been in distribution and utilization since September 2020. This has also put our hardworking health workers at risk of exposure to various infectious materials through the use of defective PPE’s,” Mr. Michelo said.
He further called on Government to immediately move in and replace the defective supplies with proper and adequate ones.
And Mr. Michelo welcomed the appointment of Dr. Jonas Chanda as Minister of Health.
He said Dr. Chanda was not a stranger to the health sector; hence there is no need to remind him that his new Ministry is complex yet important as it is charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the health of the nation, therefore should not be politicized.
Meanwhile, Mr. Michelo stated that Nurses and Midwives who are frontline workers in the fight against Covid-19 are still expectant of the incentives promised to them by government.
“As we welcome our new Minister of Health, we would like to re-eco that our demotivated Nurses and Midwives country wide are very expectant following the promises the Government made through the head of state regarding incentives for health workers during this COVID 19 period,” he stated.
Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) has written to Honeybee Pharmacy, directing them to immediately recall defective condoms and gloves which have been in circulation since September 2020, as they failed quality assurance tests at Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS).