By Patson Chilemba
One of the 53 demoted senior doctors, Dr Charles Chishimba, says he has not been going for work for a long time despite still receiving a government salary, as he has not been told why he was demoted by Dr Chitalu Chilufya’s leadership at the time.
And the other doctors who declared anonymity demanded that Ministry of Health human resource director, Mwila must be taken to task over why people that have not been working for several years are still on government payroll for years.
Asked by Daily Revelation on why he was demoted along with others, and if any explanation had been given to him over that decision, Dr Chishimba described the move as a “PF policy.”
“That was the PF policy isn’t it? As if you don’t know sure. That is the performance of PF in those days because they would want to put their cadres in your positions as substantive officers. So they wouldn’t follow any law to do that. They would just do whatever they wished to do. And it appears this country there were no laws,” Dr Chishimba said. “They were never afraid to infringe any law, because there was no law according to them anyway. That is why you are seeing a document like that. I don’t even know how such a document reached you, anyway.”
He acknowledged the fact that he was at home but still on payroll.
“What can I do? Is it of my making that someone sends me to sit at home? It’s not of my making…That whole behaviour started happening the moment those elections of 2016 were won. About two,three months down the line, through into 2017 up to 2020 that was happening…I think every person had their own duration (on when the demotions started for each one of the doctors), according to them when they have a cadre to replace with you. It has been from 2017 up to about 2020,” Dr Chishimba said. “But look here is a country where someone even creates 17 directorates at the ministry and he picks his own cadres and puts them there. And no one has any audacity to say anything. Here is a person who can just walk into a provincial office and tells you that you ‘move away,I am bringing this one’ and without any regard to any law. Is that how a country should be run? And all of these people are sitting by and looking. Look at how affected the systems have been? That is abuse of office.
Asked why he and his colleagues could not sue, Dr Chishimba said: “First of all let us resolve. We need to reach a resolution then we can start talking about what to do next then we can ask a lawyer for the interpretation of abuse of authority and then the matter can go to court.”
Asked if he had at any point reported to the lower position, Dr Chishimba said:”But you can’t report to a lower position. Can you? How can you do that? You can’t! Even if you do, it’s just a matter of convenience so that you go back to where your station is because each position in civil service comes with a job description once you are appointed in accordance with the government gazette…So there’s no one who can alter such a job description apart from the appointing authority. And if you are to move to a lower capacity, you only do that under disciplinary procedures. And even under disciplinary procedures … you choose either to be retired or demoted. And you choose. And now you are retired and your privileges are stripped…At that position you are entitled to GRZ personal to holder vehicle and a lot of other small, small things. The next day you find that the next day some other people from other control units claiming for that vehicle. And at that time, I still remember, we were paying for those vehicles…That was Chitalu Chilufya’s activities.”
Dr Chishimba continued.
“And we held several meetings with him. And he would tell you to your face that go wherever you want, this is our policy. So that was it and apparently there was no one who could rescue you. It was take it or leave it. And so some people left. Some were forced to resign others were sent on forced leave and so and so on as you see on that list. How could anybody be forced to resign? And apparently a Civil Service Commission accepts such resignation under duress. It means the whole system had collapsed,” said Dr Chishimba.
Sources said the doctors that were demoted with no authority and still on payroll in substantive positions but out of station include Dr Chishimba (Medical superintendent Nchanga North General Hospital, demoted to Medical Officer Chainama Hills Filter clinic) Dr George Chipulu (Medical Superintendent Kabwe General Hospital demoted to District Medical Officer Choma DHO, no authority issued by CSC, transfer effected by PS MOH) Naulata Clara Seneadza (Medical superintendent Roan General Hospital demoted to general Medical Officer at Thomson District Hospital) Dr Ronald Chola (Medical Superintendent Kabwe Mine Hospital demoted to senior registrar pediatrics at North Nchanga General Hospital) Dr Bwalya Chibende (Communicable Diseases Specialist Central Province demoted to general Medical Officer Kabwe General Hospital), Dr Simon Kunda (Medical Superintendent Mansa General Hospital demoted to general Medical Officer at UTH obstetrician Department), Dr Beatrice Kafulubiti (Provincial Clinical Care Specialist Care Specialist Central Province, Kabwe demoted to clinical care Officer at District, Solwezi), Dr Kennedy Lishimpi (Director Clinical Care and diagnostics, MOH HQ demoted to National Coordinator and consultant at Cancer diseases hospital), Dr Kunda Evaristo (District Medical Officer Masaiti Ndola demoted to general Medical Officer Ndola Central Hospital), Dr Mapani (Medical Superintendent Lewanika General Hospital Mongu demoted to Kafue Gorge Hospital as Medical Officer in charge), Dr Muma Mulenga (National Eye Coordinator MOH HQ, now sitting at EYE hospital as Acting Senior Medical Superintendent Kalulushi General Hospital “un gazetted position demoted to senior lecturer at Levy Mwanawasa Medical University)
Others are Dr Christopher Dube (District Medical Officer Mumbwa), Dr Charles Mwinuna (District Medical Officer Kapiri Mposhi demoted to general Medical Officer Kabwe General Hospital), Dr Chabwera Shumba (Emergency and Mobile Services Specialist at MOH HQ, now sitting as acting senior Medical Superintendent for Cardiac Hospital, un-gazetted position), Dr Siakantu Gardner (Director Emergency and mobile services MOH HQ, now sitting as Dean Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, Dr Kamoto Mbewe (Director Technical Services MOH HQ), Dr. Cleto Mweemba, Chief Physiotherapist MOH HQ, Dr Dennis Mulenga P, Head of Surgery at Kitwe Central Hospital, retired at age 55.
Efforts to talk to Dr Chilufya have failed as calls made to him go unanswered.
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