GOVT PROBES COVID 19-SCAM

By ADRIAN MWANZA
THE Ministry of Health has instituted investigations in the Covid-19 test scam involving health practitioners charging exorbitant fees to unsuspecting patients.
It is alleged that people are being asked to pay K300 to get a Covid-19 test done at a public health institution which is supposed to be free.
Ministry of Health spokesperson, Abel Kabalo, said investigations have been instituted in the matter and that all those that would be found wanting would be dealt with accordingly.
Dr Kabalo said the ministry was doing target tests and that not everyone was eligible to be tested at public health facilities.
He said that private hospitals were at liberty to charge individuals but that it was a different scenario for public health facilities which were only testing a certain group of people.
“I can confirm that we have instituted investigations in the matter and we are not going to spare anyone since what we are doing is just target testing which means people that are suspected to be infected with Covid-19 are the ones that are tested,” he said.
Dr Kabalo said that people needed to get a receipt unlike what was going on where individuals at Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital were being charged K300 to get a test.
He said that the only people that were mandated to pay were those who wanted to travel outside the country.
Dr Kabalo said that anyone found wanting would be dealt with severely and called on the stakeholders to come out in the open to identify the culprits.
“My plea is that people should come out in the open so that they can help us identify the culprits who are denting the image of the ministry which is working extremely hard to ensure that the lives of Zambians were protected,” Dr Kabalo said.