The Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) is saddened that various universities and colleges in the country have continued to enroll students without full grade 12 certificates.
HPCZ Register Professor Faston Goma said the council has also noted with concern that a number of health practitioners have continued to operate in different health facilities with fake annual licenses.
Prof Goma who described such practices as unacceptable, stated that this is hindering the progress of delivering quality health care services to people.
Prof Goma who is also HPCZ Chief Executive Officer said this today during a media briefing.
He noted that as a regulator, HPCZ will do everything possible to ensure that the situation is corrected.
Prof Goma noted that the council has since urged all universities and colleges to discontinue training students without a full grade 12 certificate.
He said applicants should also desist from enrolling if they do not have the qualification.
Prof Goma stated that letters have been written to the concerned institutions and hopes that they will all compile without fail.
He said sanctions will be effected to those institutions that will not comply.
“As a regulatory body we are saddened that colleges and universities have continued to enroll students without full grade 12 certificates. And we have also noted that the same students are a problem because they have also continued to enroll when they know they do not have the qualifications. We have since written to these institutions to discontinue such students until they have correct results,” said Prof Goma.
Prof Goma, however, noted that the second professional licentiate examinations will be conducted from the 18th of September to 6th October 2023.
He said that registration of candidates is ongoing and that the deadline for submitting applications is 18th August 2023.
“ We encourage all eligible candidates to apply for the September examination considering that the next year the examination will be conducted in February 2024. The examinations are open to fresh graduates and to those who did not perform well during the 2023 February examinations, ”Prof Goma stated.
Prof Goma also noted that there is a critical shortage of healthcare staff in various public institutions and that the situation presents challenges in the accessibility of quality healthcare services for all.
He said government is working towards ensuring that more health personnel will be deployed to ease the burden in the affected health facilities.
“During our HPCZ routine inspections, we discovered that some health facilities especially in the rural areas operate with only one trained health practitioner while others do not have available technical staff for their scope of services. Government is working to address this challenge in the distribution of human resources in the facilities,” said Prof Goma.
They need to investigate deeper because they will find that there is exchange of sexual favours for places on these courses. Young desperate female nurse wannabes will do anything to achieve their career.
It is not against the law to enrol anyone who does not have a school into college or university as long they have met the entry requirement . In the UK and and many western countries, you can enrol into higher education as long as you have met the entry requirements. In Zambia ”School” Certificate is just an elimination mechanism because of stiff competition for university/College places
These are not things you just NOTE WITH CONCERN. You act decisively. Hand the cases over to police and arrests should be openly done to deter other would be criminals. In the 80s and 90s the Zambia exam council got so corrupt we are now reaping what it sowed. So many fake professionals
Ati:
council has also noted with concern that a number of health practitioners have continued to operate in different health facilities with fake annual licenses.
ARREST THEM! Don’t just note.
The introduction of private learning institutions hasn’t been accompanied by clear policy direction. The HPCZ is the regulator of health institutions and the Higher Education Authority regulates training institutions, so who’s in charge of checking who’s enrolling who? Last time the HPCZ closed some colleges that included the CBU School of Medicine and caused a sharp reaction from the HEA who alleged that the former had crossed the line. Indeed, the quest to have an income has caused some colleges to bend rules and now we have teachers and nurses who don’t have the minimum qualifications to be admitted into college. The Minister of Education must quickly address this matter
This problem has started because of UPN””D
People were buying school leavers’ certificates with distinctions in the past 20 years and noone was arresting anyone