Foreign trained medics in licenciate poser

…as only 21 pass while 91 flop professional licensure exams - HPCZ

ONLY about 20 medical doctors passed while more than 90 failed their professional licensure examinations which were conducted in September – October 2018, Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) registrar Aaron Mujajati has disclosed. Dr Mujajati said from 112 medical doctors who sat for the examinations only 21 passed while 91 failed, representing a 16 percent pass rate. Of the 112 medical doctors who sat for the examinations, 103 were foreign trained while nine were trained at local institutions. He also said out of 30 Science Laboratory Technologists, only one passed giving a pass rate of three percent. Briefing the media in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Mujajati said the total number of candidates who sat for the licensure examinations was 1, 888 out of which 1,232 passed and that a total of 30 professions were represented. He said the pass rate was a 10 percent drop in the performance of candidates who sat for the examinations. Dr Mujajati said the performance of degree and certificate holders was poor compared to diploma holders who performed relatively better. “Let me disclose that we have noticed a drop in the performance during the recent exams in which we recorded a 65 percent pass rate compared to the May-June exams when we had 75 percent pass rate,” he said. He emphasised that only candidates who passed the licensure examinations would be registered and issued with practicing licences while the rest would be given an opportunity to re-sit the tests. Dr Mujajati reaffirmed that HPCZ would continue to carry out its role of ensuring that both health learning as well as health provider facilities upheld the required standards to ensure safety of patients.