Medical Stores, ZAMRA boards dissolved

MINISTER of Health Jonas Chanda has with immediate effect dissolved the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority and Medical Stores boards.

Dr Chanda has also abolished 10 directorates in the Health Sector.

This is contained in a statement issued to Daily Nation by the Ministry of health.

The Minister has also reduced the number of directorates from 17 to seven.

“Medical stores Limited (MSL) has transitioned into Zambia Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMSA).

“This means the MSL board is dissolved and non-existent. A new ZAMSA board will be appointed in due course.

Dr Chanda said that this entails that the procurement of function of all medical supplies will no longer be under the Ministry of Health and will now be carried out by ZAMSA.

Earlier this week, Medical Stores Limited (MSL) Managing Director Chikuta Mbewe was dismissed from his position following recent revelations that substandard medical kits, including leaking condoms, were distributed to health facilities starting from September last year.

James Kapesa, the agency’s then board chairperson told journalists that the agency has operating procedures that require that commodities issued should be of high quality, adding that the diversion from the required standard requires urgent attention.

“MSL’s principal activity is the storage and distribution of efficacious and safe medicines and medical products to the public health facilities. In view of what happened in the recent past, action has been taken to ensure that remedy is done according to the provisions of the law,” he told reporters during a press briefing.

The distribution of the substandard medical products, allegedly supplied by a local pharmaceutical firm, HoneyBee Pharmaceuticals, has stirred rile in the country with increased calls for the firing and arrest of all those involved.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of confirmed

Covid-19 cases in Zambia has now reached 60, 427 after the addition of 1,424 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours from the 10,082 tests that were conducted, Dr Chanda said yesterday, reports ZANIS.

Dr Chanda however expressed concern with the growing number of cases in the Copperbelt province which he said is becoming an epicenter.

Dr. Chanda however stated that the surveillance team on the ground is working round the clock to arrest the situation promptly.

And the minister has announced that 16 new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours and these have been classified as Covid-19 deaths or Covid-19 associated deaths.

He added that the development has resulted in the cumulative number of Covid-19 deaths to stand at 828, with 378 being

Covid deaths, 419 Covid-19 associated deaths and 31 deaths pending classification.

In a statement in Lusaka yesterday, Dr. Chanda has further indicated that an additional 740 patients from both the isolation facilities and home management have been discharged bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 52,045.