The Health Professions Council of Zambia-HCPZ- has disclosed that the country currently has a deficit of more than 80,000 health workers.
Addressing the media in Lusaka this morning, HPCZ Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Fastone Goma said the health sector is currently in a state that requires urgent attention as the number of health workers in health facilities is far below what is expected.
Professor Goma says with this deficit, the 3000 health workers that have been given for the health sector will not help the country achieve universal health coverage and has urged government to try and get up to the 80,000 deficits in the next one year.
And professor Goma says the Council was tasked by Health Minister Sylvia Masebo to facilitate a study on the adequacy of deployment of human resources for health in public institutions where they picked Chongwe District as a pilot project and it was discovered that the district has a deficit of 688 health personnel in all the 41 health centers.
Meanwhile, Professor Goma says all is set for the professional licensure examinations which commence on Monday 18th September 2023.
He says a total of 3,529 applicants have successfully registered to sit the theory and practical exams.
