A joint enforcement operation by the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ), the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) and the Zambia Police has led to the arrest of a Ugandan national accused of illegally practising as an optician and selling unauthorised medicines to the public.
The suspect, identified as Ziyaka Zioal Husein, had allegedly been operating a facility trading as Coptic Opticians in Chongwe District and advertising products on Facebook said to treat cataract, glaucoma and other eye conditions.
He was apprehended in the Lusaka Central Business District, where officials seized suspected medicinal products, empty containers, labelling stickers, mobile phones, a motor vehicle and cash believed to be connected to the illegal trade.
According to authorities, Mr Husein faces several criminal charges under the Health Professions Act No. 17 of 2024 and the Medicines and Allied Substances Act No. 3 of 2013, including illegal practice as a health practitioner, operating an unlicensed facility, marketing medicines without authorisation, and engaging in misleading claims about medical products.
HPCZ and ZAMRA have warned that illegal health practice and the sale of unregulated medicines pose a serious public health risk, urging citizens to verify the legitimacy of practitioners and facilities especially those offering services online.
By Victoria Kayeye Yambani
