Health
150 ZAMMSA staff fired!
A forensic audit has exposed inflated procurement prices, missing stock records and alleged diversion of medicines at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), leading to the separation of all 150 employees as Government moves to restructure the agency.
Picture: Times of Zambia
Inflated prices, missing records and pilferage cited for mass separation
All the 150 employees at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) have been separated from the Agency following a damning forensic audit which exposed alleged systemic breakdowns in the public medicines supply chain countrywide.
Health Minister Joseph Chilengi announced yesterday that the mass separation had been taken in the national interest after years of persistent problems at the agency, complaints from stakeholders and findings of a forensic audit commissioned through the Office of the Auditor General.
Professor Chilengi said in a statement yesterday that the audit, uncovered serious weaknesses from procurement through warehousing to distribution, raising fresh concern over the security and availability of medicines destined for public health facilities.
Prof Chilengi said that the audit also found irregular procurements at inflated prices, unaccounted-for stock, missing system records and the diversion of medicines meant for public health facilities.
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“In short, there are systemic failures at every level of the processes,” he said.
The decision effectively removes the entire ZAMMSA workforce as the Government moves to rebuild the agency with what the minister described as a leaner structure intended to run an efficient, accountable and reliable medical-supplies system.
Prof Chilengi assured the public that medicine distribution to health facilities would not be interrupted, saying an interim management team had already been installed to maintain operations.
He said that the Ministry of Health would work closely with cooperating partners and logistics providers to sustain the supply and distribution of medicines while new management was put in place.
“My ministry will work closely with our cooperating partners and logistics providers to maintain distribution. We will work around the clock to ensure that new management is in place as soon as possible,” he said.
Prof Chilengi assured that all affected employees would receive their lawful dues.
He said that vacancies in the restructured agency would soon be advertised openly, allowing the Government to recruit staff for a smaller and more efficient establishment.
Source: Times of Zambia — Read more
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