GOVERNMENT NOT READY TO MEET RDAZ WITH DR SAMPA AS ITS LEADER – MALUPENGA
MINISTRY of Information and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Amos Malupenga says government will only meet the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) on condition that association president Dr Brian Sampa is not part of the discussions.
But Dr Sampa has charged that the PS was speaking out of ignorance, arguing that he is still the president of the association even after being fired and his license suspended.
Speaking in an interview, Malupenga insisted that Dr Sampa was not expected to lead the delegation for the discussions as he was dismissed from his employment.
He added that the fact that Dr Sampa’s practicing license as a medical doctor had been suspended by HPCZ meant that he could not participate in any activity related to the practice of his profession.
“Government wants to engage the association in the discussion as it has been doing before. Except this time around, government does not expect Dr Sampa to lead the delegation for these discussions as association president. Firstly, government recognises the fact that as we speak, Dr Sampa was dismissed from his employment as a medical doctor. Secondly, his practicing license as a medical doctor has been suspended by the Health Professions Council of Zambia. And in line with their Act, they have prescribed conditions for the suspension. One condition is that during the three months he has been suspended, he will not practice as a medical doctor,” he said.
“The second reason is that during this same period, he will not participate in any activity that is related to his profession. That is according to the HPCZ Act. Now, if he insists that even if he has been dismissed and his practicing license has been suspended but still remains as president, our argument position as government is that yes, he may be president of RDAZ but the very fact that he has been suspended by the council, it means that he cannot participate in any activity related to the practice of his profession.”
Malupenga added that the association’s constitution which still recognises him as a leader had no effect because the HPCZ Act was superior.
“And then they are saying, as far as their constitution is concerned, he is still president for the next two years. Our position as government is that the Health Professions Council of Zambia was established by an Act of parliament, which means it is a higher authority. So you cannot compare the provisions of this act of parliament, to the constitution of the association. So our understanding is that the constitution of the RDAZ cannot be subordinated to an Act of Parliament.”
Meanwhile, Malupenga said it was unfair for the association to seek an audience with President Lungu as the Ministry of Health had continued to engage them on various issues.
“It is not justifiable for RDAZ to seek audience with the President and saying they have exhausted the lines of communication. That is not fair. It is a misrepresentation of facts. That is why government is ready and willing to engage them even as we speak. The Ministry of Health has given an update stating that from the last time we met even before they went on go slow, there has been progress on some of the issues so let us continue to meet, discuss and how we are going to go forward. The only challenge is that we are not going to have Dr Sampa in our midst,” he said.
“If indeed they are interested and they do not have any other motive, our expectation is that they will say ‘Dr Sampa you will not come, you are still our president but do not come to the meeting’. But if they insist that Dr Sampa must attend the meeting then they are not pushing their agenda in good faith.”
Malupenga advised the association to instead appoint their vice president as their representative to discuss the way forward.
“We are saying, this argument is unnecessary for the sake of making progress. Even if they want to insist that he is their president, yes they can recognize him but let them not bring him to the discussion table. There is no crisis, there is the vice president who can lead the delegation or another person whom they can choose. If they are interested in pushing this discussion forward,” he said.
Asked why Dr Sampa could not be allowed to meet the President as a citizen of Zambia, Malupenga said that would be “entering the room though a back door”.
“Now what you are suggesting is we enter the room from the back door. If our colleagues are interested in pushing the agenda of the welfare of doctors, it will be simple in proceeding with the dialogue other than to be misunderstood. And when they are accused of trying to be political, it will be very difficult for anyone to defend them. They have been invited to the table except they have been given a condition to say this man (Dr Sampa) is dismissed and he has been let go for his absenteeism not for his advocacy.”
Malupenga further revealed that government had recruited over 700 health personnel.