Health Minister Dr. Jonas Chanda has said that Government will engage its legal team to investigate and prosecute those who were involved in the supply of defective condoms and substandard drugs.
Dr. Chanda has also given a one-week ultimatum to Medical Stores Limited and the Zambia Medicines Regulated Authority (ZAMRA) to submit a report indicating how many substandard medical supplies have been recalled.
Dr. Chanda said that he will not tolerate anything that will harm the people and that punitive measures need to be imposed on all those involved in the supply of such medical products.
Dr. Jonas Chanda directed the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) and the Medical Stores Limited (MSL) to issue a report on all the recalled medical products.
Dr. Chanda said that the move is meant to ensure there is a good inventory of all the counterfeit products in the last 12 months in order to protect lives and pave a way forward in terms of restoring public confidence in the country’s health sector.
And Dr. Chanda has called for strict border security that will bring a stop to the entry of counterfeit medical supplies for the safety of Zambians.
He made the remarks when he toured the two facilities and called for total transparency and accountability in the management of public health issues.
He said tightening border security will be a good preventive measure to ensure entry of medical products is restricted at points of entry to avoid recalls or exposure of defective products to the general public.
“Our duty is to protect the lives of the general public from sub-standard products and we need to emphasize regulation, prevention, and then protection,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chanda disclosed that he will soon sign the commencement order that will actualize the transformation of the Medical Stores Limited to Zambia Medicines and Medical Supply Agency (ZAMMSA) that will see the procurement process be moved from the Ministry of Health to the Medical Stores Limited in order to enhance efficiency.
He says the move will also promote transparency and accountability and also address issues in the medical supply chain such as the shortage of essential medicines among others.
He further says with the signed document, will also help to promote local manufacturing of drugs in order to be medically self-reliant as a country to avoid being victims of counterfeit medical supplies being imported into the country through illegal means by illegal suppliers.
“Statistics indicating that 30% of medicines are counterfeit is a call for action to ensure all loopholes are sealed by setting good standards to avoid unscrupulous suppliers taking advantage of people through black markets,” Dr. Chanda said and called for immediate cancellation and termination of contracts and licenses for unscrupulous suppliers.
Meanwhile, when he toured Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Chanda called for the review of the procurement process to ensure essential machinery such as the CT scan at the facility which has not been fully functional due to procurement challenges is restored to operational status.
He took advantage of the same tour to update the nation on the COVID-19 pandemic and disclosed that 1,120 new cases were recorded out of 9,809 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, while 13 deaths were recorded with discharges standing at 1,145.
They should be prosecuted for sure…
Way to go they should face the wrath of the law
Please do so honourable
Way to go Honorable. You have hit the ground running. While you are at it, investigate the ambulances too.
Deal with them for endangering the lives of so many people
This will be dramatically interesting. Wasn’t the HoneyBee contract reviewed and okayed by the Attorney General’s office?
Hope your hands will not be oiled
We’re watching.
Right on Dr Jonas Chanda.
Yes, bapompwe deserve punishment
When???
You haven’t anything yet, only talking about future.
During Chilufya people were not dying so much.
Too many reports waiting to be submitted. Did the report on the 2 people shot by the cops at the courts been submitted?
Careful boss, the system you have joined hurts straight forward things, make sure your hands are clean as you embark on such missions, I submit
When
Minister but Tutwa Ngulube said only one condom was tested by ZABS. Both of u are from the ruling party. Is Tutwa serious?
Dr Chanda PS sitted next to you should be on suspension right now.
We don’t want these smoke screen gimmicks it’s time PF thieves paid for their crimes.
Sure way to the exit door, if you have not consulted him.
Sorry to all zambians for having to endure such a terrible thing. We will ensure the culprits face the law. We will endeavour to learn from you on how best we can avoid a recurrence.
We want to engage you all including diasporans and consult you on how you think we can avoid this from happening again. Please give us your constructive advice and support
Doing it like the masala star boys!
Lip service.
How about the Police who shot people dead, are they also being prosecuted. That issue of the police investigating themselves.
If this Jonas Chanda was really serious he would be asking how a retailer like HoneyBee was awarded that contract without a licence…but he will not ask such questions because his boss at State House would be implicated.
Sorry won’t cut it. People have died, thier health has been affected. By saying sorry are you going to bring these dead people back.
The least the corrupt lungu can do is compensation.
Nothing will happen as owners of honeybee have oiled lungu to the hilt.
If this Kaizar Zulu is a crone, Mr Zulu should make an effort to trace who this impositor is. If it the true Kaizar Zulu, then I feel sorry for those that were depending on him as an advisor. A marketeer at Soweto would have been better in that area as he or she would have known how to carry oneself in public after termination of employment.
This is a minister with heart for zambia not ba ukulya mwibala mentalities.
But why taking so long when those involved are known.We are not happy about your lukewarm response to this regard.If it wasn’t for the public outcry you were going to be quiet just like you are quiet on numerous criminal activities and corruption
The Ministry of health has to regain its lost confidence by the people of Zambia. It’s not fair that the public no longer have confidence in our hospitals, and this has a negative impact on the Party. Let’s get back to the days where the Panadol bought over the counter used not to work but the one gotten from the hospital.
Whoever was involved should be prosecuted and let the suppliers bank accounts be frozen before they withdraw all the money.
Teacher buka I will not be drawn into your negativity. I do not want to fight you or anyone. I want to embrace you as my brother.
What will insulting me or the government achieve? Why not engage us constructively. Tell us what you think should be done to mitigate the risk of such things recurring. I was baptized last weekend and I am born again. I wont lower myself to evil ness. I forgive you and hope you forgive yourself.
Scouser it wont help a man to blame a man for all the wrong on earth. The president is an office and we have different departments dealing with regulating condoms etc. Whilst I appreciate that you feel strongly about this, I ask you to reflect deeply as to why you think the way you do. I have a lot of hope in you. I love you brother
Teacher Buka – Don’t give credibility to this UK based impostor…he never ceases playing his childish games, very soon he will jump to cloning someone else! #N3z
Investigate them and take them to task
Awe Sure People Are Killed By Infecting Them With Hiv Ati Report Typical Of Pf British Overseas Military Administration ( Boma)
Tarino your negativity won’t help you and wont push me to hate you. You have every right to allege as you please but I ask you one question, what do you benefit from your constant criticism and allegations? Why can’t we work together to benefit our country? Whether upnd or pf we are all humans with feelings and bleed red blood. Repent my brother and seek the lord
Okay, something fishy in procurement has been unveiled which calls for investigations by the relevant authorities, however does it need to be sung to the public daily other than getting on with what has to be done to ascertain action to be taken on culpable institutions. The more focus given to it may raise suspicions to like me that probably it is a hoax to divert attention from pertinent issues! After all denials have been raised by the “accused” entities! Should the country be concerned talking about procurement of condoms than interim safety measures for those that “used” the “faulty” condoms?
Barking dogs don’t bit. However the job of a politician is to bark !
There is a possibility that a defective condom case is a fake one. There are 3 companies that distribute condoms and those condoms have got different colors. Which condom color is distributed by Honeybee? Which lab did they use to test the condoms? Why didn’t they call Honeybee company prior to testing? Why are they not opening a lawsuit against them for committing a crime against humanity?
To show you that the condom is a fake one, just watch how it is going to die a natural death. Maybe its was fabricated to fire DR Chilufya.
He looks and sounds very sober. We had always said there was a mercenary at Ndeke House but the appointing authority didn’t want to listen. The damage that’s been done won’t be fully repaired. Substandard equipment has been bought at MoH. Old equipment now looks newer than the already obsolete but new equipment. You can’t run a Ministry like that. Baletila fye uwapitila ku musana wa ba boss ninshi nawina tender. All traditional suppliers were abandoned for new ones. Yes new entrants are welcome in every sector but not after getting intimate. Adultery will contribute greatly to PF’s downfall. These Bembas from Chief Mukwikile have outdone Tonga Bulls
But your own chief whip Tutwa is defending them day in and day out.
Its hard to trust PF regime with honesty and integrity. When the entire nation has been put at risk by the ministry of Health, a president can only remove a minister as a solution is really laughable. There is a chain to this scandal, and its not known for how long its been going on and yet former minister Chitalu Chilufya has been mentioned in a lot of corruption cases and nothing so far PF regime can show for it. It takes political will to crack on corruption. But, if an institution headed by someone who was struck off from LAZ on account of theft, can not honour the Audit Report. Then, the entire institution is full of thieves (Con court convicted some) and many more are priding in wealth of thefts. Those cited in the Audit Report to be charged is really laughable – Take your lies…
. Zambians have been dehumanised for a long time.
Dr Chanda is daydreaming. He knows that ECL is involved in these corrupt deals in the Ministry of Health. So who will prosecute him? These are just lies by Dr Chanda. No culprits will be prosecuted with the Powers that be involved. Just wait and see.
For sure sir