Minister of Health Sylvia T. Masebo has dissolved the Board of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) immediately.
The dissolution of the board comes days after ZAMMSA supplied the controversial Honeybee medicines to Kabwe Central Hospital and Kasama Central Hospital.
In a media statement, Ms. Masebo has further announced the appointment of the new ZAMMSA Board to be chaired by former Auditor General Anna Chifungula.
ZAMMSA is tasked with the function of procurement, storage and distribution of medicines and medical supplies to all public health facilities across the country.
Ms. Masebo has since congratulated all the new Board members of ZAMMSA.
“I am delighted to announce the Board of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), today 15th February, 2022 which was appointed yesterday 14th February, 2022.From the outset, let me state that the UPND Government remains resolved to ensuring that Zambians have access to safe and efficacious Medicines and Medical Supplies,” Ms. Masebo said.
“To that effect, the UPND Government has increased the budgetary allocation for procurement of medicines and medical supplies from K1.4 Billion in 2021 to K3.4 Billion in the 2022 National Budget. This is to ensure that the health facilities are stocked with adequate medicines and medical supplies.Following the enactment of the Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency Act No. 9 of 2019, the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) was established and Medical Stores Limited (MSL) abolished,” she said.
“I wish to inform the public that pursuant to the provisions of Section 6 of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency Act No. 9 of 2019, I appointed members of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency Board on 14th day of February, 2022.The functions of the Board are stipulated in section 7 of the ZAMMSA Act and include, among others, to provide strategic direction to the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA),” Ms. Masebo said.
“The following are the members of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Board: The Board will be chaired by (1) Ms Anna Chifungula -Former Auditor General. Other members are: (2) Representative from the Ministry responsible for of Finance- Ms Mwaka Mukubesa (3) Representative from Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia (PSZ)- Mr Kennedy Saini. (4) Representative from Civil society organization affiliated to health- Ms Karen Sichinga (5) Representative from Attorney General- Mr Joseph Simachela (6) Representative from Ministry responsible for Health- Dr Alex Makupe. (7)Representative from Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ),” she announced.
Ms. Masebo told the new ZAMMSA that Zambians have high expectations and are looking forward to the restoration of confidence in the supply chain of medicine.
She said the board members’ experience in the public service has convinced her that they are equal to the task of ensuring that Zambians are assured of an efficient and effective supply chain system.
“I wish to remind you that your appointment places a huge responsibility on your shoulders as the Zambian people have high expectations of this Board and look forward to restoration of confidence in the supply chain of medicines and medical supplies.With your vast experience in the Public Service, I am convinced that you are equal to the task to ensure that Zambians are assured of an efficient and effective supply chain system and have access to safe and efficacious medicines and medical supplies in all our health facilities,” she said.
“Admittedly, the current narrative of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency leaves much to be desired. In view of this, I am confident that you will work hard to restore confidence in the institution. I expect that you will hit the ground running and begin to put our house at ZAMMSA in order. You are assured of my utmost support,” Ms. Masebo concluded.
So sad to Honeybee.
They did nothing wrong at all.
WOW! That is SIX months after having been sworn in. Hardly what you would call “decisive action”. While the entire world knows anything to do with the MoH smells of thieving and corruption!
MoH is the most porous ministry. Even the new brooms will soon know how to sweep the deep corners.
This board needs better reppresentation its mostly composed of civil servants and reps from associations wanting promotions and allowances…we need some one from the Doctors and Nurses association on that board. We also need review and reform of procurement and tender regulations that favour long established foreign companies when local companies have the capacity to supply …and not every contract should classified as emergency because corners are cut imagine supply panadol as emergency.
EVERYTHING THE EVIL NOTORIOUS PANGA FRATERNITY TOUCHED WAS EVIL!
Dissolve & disband anything N.P.F left, as the thieving Brutes took Zambia back to the Stone age.
Um atleast this was a timely call. Just days after the scandal and people are fired, I’m impressed,
This is good leadership. But anyway, I always knew Masebo to be hardworking, she always delivered. Excellent track record,
Her and Felix Mutati. We all ve weaknesses but common , give credit where it’s due.
You need to report Factually, The Minister did not say she had dissolved the board. She appointed board members. There was no Board at ZAMMSA for a long time. It is the new Board Chairperson Anna Chifungulwa who had sent management on forced leave.
Back into active service, how will Anna Chifungula manage the enormous range of properties that includes houses and farms she acquired while in the Auditor General’s office?
Most welcome and far overdue madam. Please ban Honeybee and remove all PF carders in the health. Prosecute all those involved in the Honeybee scandal to set a lesson. Health is very important and people must ensure its treated as such especially for those that manage it for vulnerable Zambians who deserve the best.
The board has always comprised the representattives of these organisations. They do not run the day to day activities of ZAMMSA. That is the directors’ job. The board gives policy direction and appoints the top directors. Nothing changes if the directors are sloppy.
Please could we also as a country now remove the need for returning residents to show a negative PCR covid test to come back home for those who are fully vaccinated. That is the way the world is going now and by doing so we will not only encourage all travellers to get fully vaccinated but also cut their travel costs abroad for them to get back into the country especially cross border traders , businessmen etc.
I’m kind of rusty concerning development advances in Zambia but situated in the Copperbelt and mostly Ndola were pharmaceutical companies and Gamma still rings in my mind. Kindly update me of their existence or are the so called suppliers of drugs just importers from other sources? If Zambia only has one pharmaceutical company producing medicines then MoH has no choice but to get all the medicines from this one manufacturing company for the sole reason that it is Zambian and employing Zambians!
Hon. Masebo’s political carrier has been characterized by a trait of migration to several political parties. She has served as Minister under Mwanawasa and Sata – now under HH. On the advice from her tribe’s man who was a former Director General of ZAWA, Mrs. Masebo as Minister of Tourism dissolved ZAWA to reconstitute the Dept of Wildlife & National Parks. Most fine professional Wildlife Officers migrated to other countries or opted to work for private Conservation Institutions with many rendered jobless. The fate of staff under the Ministry of Health is uncertain. The firing of a PS (Dr. Malama) is a tip of the iceberg, despite the process being a predictable Presidential prerogative with a change of Govt..