Public Hospitals Directed to Stop Giving Prescriptions

Health Minister ELIJAH MUCHIMA has directed public hospitals across the country to stop giving prescriptions to patients but give them medicines.

Dr. MUCHIMA says he will not allow a situation where patients are given prescriptions to buy their own medicine when all the hospitals are 98 percent and above stocked with medicines.

Dr MUCHIMA says it is unfortunate that some people are allegedly stealing medicines from hospitals and taking them to private pharmacies.

He said this in Livingstone at the launch of the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIMA Social Cash transfer health policy and recruitment exercise to extend NHIMA access to the vulnerable.

He has also directed hospitals to ensure that they find ways to reduce on the time patients wait on long queues at hospitals.

And Dr. MUCHIMA says the government is working on reviewing the NHIMA act to make access to health care cheaper and increase the number of beneficiaries.

And Health Permanent KENNEDY LISHIMPI has urged the general public to get NHIMA cards to access to medical care services anywhere in the country.

Meanwhile Livingstone Member of Parliament RODNEY SIKUMBA says five thousand women in Livingstone under the Social cash transfer program will be registered to access free medical care.

And NHIMA Director General MICHAEL NJAPAU says NHIMA has so far registered over five million people and that two million are from the informal sector.

He says it is mandatory for all citizens to be registered under NHIMA.