THE Zambian health professions council says two Zambian universities where Namibians are currently enrolled “train assassins” instead of doctors.
This comes after it was revealed that the health council there had banned five degree programmes at the Cavendish University and Apex Medical University.
The banning of the programmes has affected thousands of Zambian students, and 91 Namibians studying at the two universities, health deputy minister Juliet Kavetuna confirmed yesterday.
According to a Zambian multimedia investigative journalism website, News Diggers, the Zambian health professions council’s registrar, Aaron Mujajati, said during a media briefing last Sunday that the two universities cannot be allowed to continue training doctors as they could only “produce assassins”.
The cancelled programmes are the bachelor of science in pharmacy and bachelor of science in radiography at the Apex Medical University, and the bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery, as well as a bachelor of science in clinical medicine and bachelor of science in public health at Cavendish University.
Kavetuna said she did not know what progress students had made as the ministry was still looking into the issue.
However, News Diggers reported that the decision by the Zambian health professions council was also based on various breaches, such as inadequate lecturers and the lack of proper laboratories.
Acting health permanent secretary Petronella Masabane said in a statement on Friday that she will lead a delegation to Zambia which would include representatives of the Health Professions Council of Namibia and the University of Namibia’s Medical School. Masabane yesterday reiterated that the health ministry will undertake the assessement mission after which a statement will be released.
