THE Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) has described newspaper advertisements on health related training by Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management (LIUTEBM) and Mosa University College of Education and Health Sciences as illegal.
But LIUTEBM Vice Chancellor Patrick Kalifungwa has explained that his University applied for the regulator to evaluate the syllabus and that the institution of higher learning was waiting for approval.
HPCZ public relations officer Terry Musonda said in a press statement that the advertisements from the two universities which appeared in the Post Newspaper recently were illegal and did not have the blessing from his Institution.
“Parents, sponsors and would-be-students are therefore alerted that any person (s) wishing to undertake the stated training programmes will not be eligible for registration with the HPCZ to practice as health practitioners in Zambia.
The HPCZ also wishes to stress that the newspaper advertisements on enrolment of students for the five programmes is not only illegal but has no blessings from us,” Mr Musonda said.
He urged parents, sponsors and would-be-students to double-check on the status of both the training institutions and health related programmes being offered with registrar of the HPCZ, whenever they see such enrolment newspapers advertisements.
“This is vital in order to avoid the inconvenience of losing their hard-earned-resources and time.
“The general public should further note that the council is taking measures over the matter,” Mr Musonda said.
When contacted for a comment, Prof Kalifungwa said LIUTBM had already paid K12, 300 for registration and K5, 000 on the said health programmes and that the University was waiting for approval from the regulator.
“The environment is very competitive and some competitors are fighting the registration of the programs through the regulators.
“The major point of contention is that they would like us to stay quiet while the bureaucracy takes its process to evaluate the program and wait until next year,” he said.
Prof Kalifungwa said his University felt it could advertise while it was waiting for their approval although students would not be learning until the approval was granted.
“Most of the students will start with A’ Level courses to qualify for the entry level to Medicine which will take them one year.
The major point is that the program is crafted by the same experts who will be used by the regulators. The experts are Health Experts who are themselves practicing and qualified professional doctors and consultants. Mind you they are very few in the market, as you know, that is a specialised field,” he said.
Prof Kalifungwa said the University had since withdrawn the adverts and urged regulators to work closely with stakeholders and advise adequately when they were lapses as opposed to engaging in aggression and antagonism.
Efforts to get a comment from Most University failed.
Why is it that in Africa we are still such with these white colonial sexist nurses’ uniforms…they people who brought you this don’t wear these uniforms, imagine white clothing in a hospital and add our dusty environment.
kalifungwa first wait for permission then advertise. What of that permission will nt be gragted. Medicine is not tourism ba Kalifungwa.
spot on jay jay,,,well said !!