HEA differs with HPCZ
By Staff Reporter
The High Education Authority (HEA) has directed the Copperbelt University to continue running the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery programmes at the higher education institution until further notice.
Health Professional Council of Zambia (HPCZ) last week banned medical degree programmes at Copperbelt University for failing to comply with the minimum requirements to run such programmes.
In a statement on Monday HEA director general professor Stephen Simukanga said according to the Higher Education Act No.4 of 2013 and statutory instrument No.25 of 2016, the authority was mandated to accredit higher learning institutions including programmes they delivered.
“For this reason in May 2018, the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery learning programmes of CBU were audited by experts acting on behalf of HEA for purposes of accreditation,” said Simukanga.
He said preliminary findings of the audit indicated that the learning programmes had areas that needed improvement.
“Following the findings HEA began a process of guiding CBU in thoroughly addressing the learning programme deficiencies and had asked the HEI to develop an implementation plan over a period of not more than one year,” he explained.
Simukanga said this was expertly deemed as a sufficient period of time to rectify all of the learning programmes identified deficiencies.
“Moreover as it was expertly determined that the shortcomings of the learning programmes did not warrant the closure of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery learning programmes as continuous improvement of these learning programmes is instituted, CBU shall continue providing these learning programmes while they address the shortcoming that have been identified,” he said.
However HPCZ Chief Executive Officer Dr Aaron Mujajati said the decision of the council was valid as it was intended to enforce compliance among providers of the training programmes.
Dr Mujajati said the council would seek the Attorney General’s interpretation of the law regarding the practice of medicine in view of the position taken by the authority on the matter.
