Health professionals reject proposed HPCZ Bill, call for its withdrawal from parliament (video)

Six health sector professional associations have united in opposition to the proposed Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) Bill, calling for its immediate withdrawal from Parliament.

The associations, including the Clinical Officers Association of Zambia, the Zambia Society of Physiotherapy and the Public Health Association of Zambia voiced their concerns at a media briefing held at their offices in Obama on Friday.

Other opposing groups include the Zambia Medical Licentiate Practitioners Association, the Zambia Institute of Environmental Health and the Radiological Society of Zambia.

Speaking on behalf of the associations, Clinical Officers Association of Zambia president, Jones Neba, accused the HPCZ of unilaterally altering the composition of its Board without stakeholder input.

“The Bill introduces changes to the composition of the HPCZ Board, diverging significantly from the original proposals,” Neba said, adding that the alterations were made through “cunning, non-transparent, and self-serving processes.”

Neba criticized the proposed governance framework for excluding the majority of stakeholders, arguing that this undermined the legitimacy of the bill and violated democratic principles.

“This exclusion denies affected parties the opportunity to contribute to decisions that directly impact their professional practice,” he stated.

Neba also raised concerns about HPCZ’s capacity to uphold professionalism and accountability, citing previous controversies, including the leakage of licensure examinations.

He argued that granting the Council additional statutory powers, such as administering licensure examinations, would compromise public trust and set a dangerous legislative precedent.

“Assigning these additional powers under the current circumstances establishes an unsound legislative framework and erodes confidence in the institution’s integrity,” he said.

The associations called for participatory governance and adherence to legislative best practices, accusing the HPCZ of sidelining critical stakeholders in the decision-making process.

Neba concluded by urging Parliament to reject the proposed bill, emphasizing the need for an inclusive, transparent, and accountable approach to healthcare governance.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.