Advocacy in Health Care

At the state level, the COAZ shapes the policy of influential national policymaking, partners with outside experts and stakeholder groups and influences the enactment and/or defeat of state legislation and regulation

COAZ is not surprised

The Clinical Officers Association of Zambia - COAZ) is not surprised by the indirect admission by the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. E Muchima, regarding the possibility of corruption in the recent recruitment of health workers.The association sympathizes with the minister, the public, and unemployed health workers who may have been disadvantaged by such actions. We have consistently stated that the current composition of the Human Resources Committee involved in recruitment is inadequate and leaves much to be desired. It creates loopholes that could potentially champion corruption, including cronyism.Therefore, we call on the government, through the Ministry of Health and the Civil Service Commission, to disband all Human Resources Management (HRM) committees at the district and provincial levels and reconstitute them.“How can such committees be devoid of the involvement of critical civil society and professional organizations, such as ourselves and other health associations, who are the custodians of healthcare?”The decentralization policy has clearly outlined the roles of associations and civil society organizations, yet it is shocking to see us excluded at the such levels.As long as these committees remain as they are, we can expect cronyism, nepotism, bribery, and other forms of corruption to undermine our nation’s fight against such vices.We are better positioned to advise on recruitment matters, as we are represented in every district and have a deeper understanding of health-related issues. It is only in Zambia where health workers have little to no say in determining health policies.We also urge the Ministry of Health to expedite the drafting of the National Health Policy and the subsequent National Health Services Bill, as these will help address some of these challenges and contribute to the improvement of our nation’s health sector.Musonda Kamfwa, Ph.D(s) MPH MPA Secretary General Chairperson of the Committee on Health Services Clinical Officers Association of Zambia.

The COAZ Executive, led by the President, visited the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Director-General professor Kazhila Chinsembu. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss potential collaboration in the accreditation and registration process of higher learning institutions offering Clinical Medicine. This engagement comes in response to the increasing number of training institutions in this field, despite a noticeable decline in the quality of education, particularly in terms of skills, knowledge, and, most concerning, the attitude of graduates.We strongly urge training institutions to adhere to the recommended entry requirements as they enrol students in their programmes. Furthermore, we call on the HEA to take necessary action, including the possible closure of institutions that fail to comply with the established standards. COAZ remains committed to engaging with the HEA to ensure quality assurance in institutions offering Clinical Medicine.Jones Neba President COAZ.