HEALTH SECTOR SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORRUPTION – TIZ

By Scoop Reporter

THE health sector is susceptible to corruption due to the uncertainty that prevails within, Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) Executive Director Maurice Nyambe has said.

The Ministry of Health has been embroiled in a number of scandals ranging from alleged corruption, diversion of medicines, and failure to declare interest.

Speaking at the Private Sector Symposium which was held in Lusaka this morning, Mr. Nyambe said there was information asymmetry in the sector which made it difficult to determine the variables governing its operations.  

“Corruption thrives in settings where agents are able to bend or break rules without being detected; either because the rules themselves are not codified in writing, are ambiguous, are not made public or because performance measurement, monitoring and enforcement are lacking.

“The health sector is susceptible to corruption for a number of reasons related to its structure. First, it is a complex sector, even more so than many others. Uncertainty prevails within the sector: it is not possible to know who will get sick or when and therefore it is often challenging to predict what supplies and services are needed, when they are needed and in what quantities. It is also a sector that has information asymmetry with significant information imbalances between providers and patients and suppliers and providers,” Mr. Nyambe observed.

He further said business corruption had a negative impact on societies and economies adding that when done outside the rule of law, it eroded confidence in public institutions, harmed prosperity, equal access to resources, freedom and safety.

“Business corruption takes many forms with profound effects for the lives and wellbeing of people everywhere. Companies pay bribes or exercise undue influence through their corporate political engagement in order to win public or private procurement contracts and obtain business licenses, avoid contractual terms and conditions, ignore legal requirements and avoid enforcement,” he said.