By STEVEN ZANDE –
THE Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) has slapped more charges on Fairview Hospital of Lusaka for failing to comply with an order to close the facility.
The hospital continued to operate after revelations last week that it was administering expired drugs to patients, among other offences.
HPCZ has additionally suspended practicing licences for health staff that were found working at the facility on Saturday.
The council had last week Wednesday shut down Fairview Hospital for dispensing expired drugs, deploying three unlicensed doctors and using expired reagents in its laboratory but management could appeal the closure within 14 days.
Fairview was instructed to stop accepting new clients while existing patients were to be relocated to an alternative health facility where they would continue receiving treatment as the matter was being addressed.
But a secret operation by  HPCZ on Saturday found the hospital operating normally.
“An incognito operation yesterday (March 31, 2018) found Fairview open and operating normally. The hospital has, therefore, been charged with further penalties as provided for in the HPCZ Act,” public relations manager Terry Musonda said at a Press briefing.
Fairview had not appealed the Wednesday closure which should have indicated whether the hospital was willing to correct the offences, so that the facility could be allowed to resume operation.
Mr Musonda said the suspended health practitioners whose number had not been confirmed would have their licences suspended pending a hearing by the disciplinary committee.
He cautioned health practitioners elsewhere to ensure they did not compromise their careers and public health by resting to engage in illegal acts when asked to do so by their employers.
Mr Musonda said continued operations by Fairview posed a danger to public health hence the need for health workers to report such cases when they occurred.
He said HPCZ would continue conducting impromptu checks on health care providers countrywide, stating the council had adequate legal provisions to effectively deal with illegalities in health care provision.