The Medicines Research and Access Platform (MEDRAP) has officially written to the Ministry of Health, urging it to immediately halt the ongoing process of recruiting a Director General for the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), arguing that the recruitment is outside the ministry’s mandate.
MEDRAP Executive Director, Liyoka Liyoka, said the Minister of Health must first constitute a ZAMMSA Board of Directors, which is legally mandated to oversee the recruitment process.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, Mr. Liyoka emphasized that it is the responsibility of an independent Board to advertise and facilitate the appointment of the agency’s Director General.
“This is another irregularity contributing to operational dysfunction, and the Ministry of Health should not be involved in the recruitment process,” said Mr. Liyoka.
He further stressed the need for the ministry to avoid overstepping its role, warning that such interference has led to persistent reports of corruption in state-run institutions like ZAMMSA.
Angel Kasabo
