HEALTH Minister Elijah Muchima has clarified that he has not called for the complete ban on the issuance of prescriptions in government hospitals. Last week, Dr Muchima observed that prescriptions were still being issued, despite the fact that medicines were plenty in hospitals. Dr Muchima also ordered health workers to stop issuing prescriptions because ZAMMSA had stocked public health facilities with adequate medicines and medical supplies. However, this statement attracted sharp reactions, with the Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia saying Muchima was putting patients’ lives at risk because no health facility could have 100 percent availability of medicines and medical supplies at any given time. And in a statement, Tuesday, Dr Muchima said his comments were taken out of context. “As...
