PHAZ commends ban of licensure exams for doctors
By Staff Reporter
Public Health Professionals of Zambia (PHAZ) has commended government for abolishing licensure examinations for graduate medical doctors.
PHAZ president Maimpa Mumba said that the move would facilitate for quick deployment of intern doctors.
Mumba, who is also Kalabo District Public Health Officer, observed that, “PHAZ will follow these developments with keen interest and hoped that there will not be a biased approach towards the treatment of professionals being regulated by Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ)”.
Health minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya last week abolished the HPCZ ‘s mandatory licensure examinations for doctors and instead allow them to practice after completing their degree programmes.
Dr Chilufya recently said government will not allow a situation where doctors graduate but wait for licentiate examinations while Zambians need to be attended to.
He said the important benchmark for doctors was a standard training which came with qualified lecturers as well as adequate equipment and facilities.
The Minister directed medical schools to comply with the directive saying every doctor who graduates would now be issued a provisional license and later be issued with a practicing license upon satisfying the consultant.
Meanwhile, Mumba a has appealed to the Ministry of Health to engage HPCZ, relevant professional representative bodies and training institutions to develop well informed guidelines and tools to facilitate for skills enhancement for all health professions.
He said there is need to ensure that professionals are made within their training period through regulated practicum undertakings, workshops and internship.
“The Ministry must strictly ensure that there is induction of all health professionals during deployment,” he said.
Mumba said urged government to consider enhancing in-service trainings and workshops for health professionals at their various institutions in tandem with other continuing professional development programs and activities.
