By Tobias T. Banda
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has proven to be a real statesman in the fight against corruption and should be lauded for his timely and decisive action to clean up the Ministry of Health which had become an embodiment of the evil vice as exumed by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) and the recently exposed Procurement scandals resulting in the recalling of various medicines and medical utilities.
In the past few weeks the Nation has witnessed the firing of the Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, Permanent Secretary for Administration Ms. Kakulubelwa Mulalelo, the Managing Director of Medical Stores Limited Mr. Chikuta Mbewe and many others who were directly responsible of handling health care services on behalf of the Zambian people in the Ministry of Health.
The Human Rights Commission is deeply disturbed by recent revelations arising from the Auditor General’s report and further scrutiny by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee that defective condoms as well as gloves were distributed to the general public and have been in circulation since September, 2020.
This revelation is a serious indictment on the part of the State and greatly undermines its obligation to ensure that every citizen enjoys the highest attainable standard of health.
The right to health is a fundamental human right and an important part of the right to life which has been recognized or articulated in many international human rights treaties which Zambia has ratified including the International Covenant on Economic, Social Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Supplying unsafe drugs and equipment is a serious violation of the right to life, HRC says mwebantu.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mwebantu.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Howard Kunda
THE Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Ministry of Health to avail Honeybee Pharmacy in today’s sitting so that the institution can better address questions related to the US$17 million contract which they won from the ministry.
PAC chairperson Howard Kunda also directed that the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) be brought before the committee.
Speaking when she appeared before PAC to answer to some audit queries, Ministry of Health permanent secretary in charge of administration Kakulubelwa Mulalelo attempted to justify why Honeybee was awarded a $17 million contract.
“…in our response, we did state that the evaluation committee found the submission by the supplier as being acceptable and we have been consistent in our response in that even in our submission to this committee, we have stated that the reason why the evaluation committee could not disqualify the bidder is that the