Health
Former ZAMMSA boss gives Jack Mwiimbu 72 hours to retract drug theft allegations
FORMER Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) Director General, Victor Nyasulu says he is being used as a scapegoat by the government over the pilferage of drugs in health facilities. And Mr Nyasulu has given Mr Mwiimbu 72 hours to retract his statement claiming…
Picture: Mwebantu
FORMER Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) Director General, Victor Nyasulu says he is being used as a scapegoat by the government over the pilferage of drugs in health facilities.
And Mr Nyasulu has given Mr Mwiimbu 72 hours to retract his statement claiming that he was involved in the theft of medicine, saying that failure to do so will result in legal action.
Yesterday, Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu, together with his counterparts from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health, held a joint press briefing to address concerns surrounding the U.S. government’s move to withhold aid to Zambia’s health sector.
During the briefing, Mr Mwiimbu said between January 2023 and December 2024, three former ZAMMSA directors deliberately disregarded procurement procedures which resulted in wasteful expenditure and the acquisition of medicines that failed to meet the required 80% shelf-life standard.
He further revealed that the three directors have since been arrested and released on police bond, pending court appearances.
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However, speaking on Hot FM today, Mr Nyasulu denied any involvement in the theft of medicines.
He clarified that he was neither dismissed for theft nor facing any court charges related to the alleged pilferage of medicines.
“I am not appearing before court at the moment, but I will be appearing, not for the theft of U.S.-donated medicines and medical supplies, but for procurement glitches related to awarding contracts to local companies,”Mr Nyasulu said.
He has since given Mr Mwiimbu 72 hours to retract his statement, failure to do so will result in legal action.
Mr Nyasulu claimed that the issue of drug theft predates his tenure at ZAMMSA, which began in 2023. According to him, his predecessor had already informed him of the persistent problem.
Mr Nyasulu attributed the continued theft of medicines to the absence of a digitised security system to track the distribution of drugs.
“Security of medicines must be ensured even as drugs move from ZAMMSA to health facilities, in order to prevent them from being stolen,” he said.
Mr Nyasulu also admitted that there has been a lax approach by the Zambian government in tackling the issue.
(Mwebantu, Tuesday, 13th May, 2025)
Source: Mwebantu — Read more
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