KEY POINTS

• All officers involved must be held accountable and suspended immediately.
• Substandard drugs and gloves must be recalled immediately.
• People who used the substandard medical supplies must go for VCT.

Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia (MQHZ) has called for the suspension of all the officers involved in the supply of substandard medical supplies in the Health facilities across the country.
Organization Media and Advocacy Director Francis Kangwa told Money FM News that it is unacceptable for the Ministry of Health to distribute substandard drugs and other medical supplies to the public.
Mr. Kangwa said all substandard drugs, gloves and other medical supplies that failed to meet the inspection standards must be recalled immediately because they are posing a very serious health risks to the users.
He further urged Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) and Medical Stores Limited (MLS) to take their work seriously and safeguard the lives of citizens.
“Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia is disappointed with the Ministry of Health, Medical stores limited and Zambia medicine regulatory authority for supplying substandard medical supplies in the Health facilities across the country. As MQHZ we are demanding that all the officers involved in these matters must be held accountable and they must be suspended immediately.
“We demand that all the officers involved must resign on moral grounds for failing the Zambian people,” Mr. Kangwa said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kangwa advised citizens who may have used the substandard medical supplies to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and hepatitis B testing to guarantee their Safety.
He also urged government to take a serious consideration on the acceptance and use of controversial COVID-19 vaccine, saying the vaccine must be tested according to Zambian standards so as to assure the public of its safety.
“The Public should know that taking the substandard medicines have bad effects to their body that cannot be seen today but in the near future.”
“Amidst the second wave of COVID 19, we urge the government to take a serious thought on the acceptance and use of controversial COVID 19 vaccine. This vaccine must be tested according to our Zambian standards so that we can assure the public its safety and gain the confidence which has been lost due to these irregularities by the Ministry of Health.
It has been revealed 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.