Registration

Health Professions Act Chapter 27:19 Section 78

1) A council may establish and maintain a register of health practitioners who have acquired special knowledge and experience in particular branches of their profession or calling.

2) If a council establishes a register in terms of subsection (1), it may make rules providing for –

a) The requirements to be satisfied by a person before he may be registered in the register, including the experience to be obtained by him, the nature and duration of the training to be undertaken by him and the degree, diploma or certificate to be held by him; and
b) The conditions under which any person may be exempt from the requirements, experience or training referred to in paragraph (a); and
c) The conditions governing the practice of practitioners who have been registered in the register, including conditions restricting the practice of any such particular branch of a health profession; and
d) The circumstances in which a council may remove a person’s name from the register.

3) Rules made in terms of subsection (2) shall have no effect until they have been approved by the Minister and published in the Gazette.

4) There shall be entered in a register established in terms of subsection (1) such particulars in relation to registered persons as the council concerned may from time to time determine.

Procedure for Registration Health Professions Act Chapter 27:19 Section 86

1) Any person who wishes to be registered shall apply in writing to the registrar concerned and shall submit with his application –

a) A certificate of any qualification or experience on which he relies for registration or a certified copy of such a certificate: Provided that a certificate showing his registration in the state or territory in which he qualified or a certified photocopy thereof may be submitted if the certificate contains details of the qualifications on which registration was based; and
b) If other practical experience or training is required in the state or territory in which he qualified before registration in that state or territory –
Evidence that such experience has been gained or such training has been carried out; or
ii. A certificate of registration in that state or territory or a certified Photostat copy thereof; and
c) Such evidence of identity and good character, reputation, compliance with conditions prescribed in terms of section 85 and of the authenticity and validity of any certificate submitted, as the council may require; and
d) The appropriate application fee:
(Provided that, in the case of a person who wishes to be registered in a register kept in terms of section 78, he shall submit with his application such particulars as may be required from time to time by the council.)

2) A council may require any statement in or in connection with an application in terms of subsection (1) to be supported by affidavit.

3) If the registrar is satisfied that the qualifications and particulars or documents submitted in terms of subsection (1) are in accordance with the requirements of this Part and that the appropriate application fee has been paid he shall register the applicant in the appropriate register.

4) If the registrar is not satisfied that the qualifications, particulars or documents submitted with an application in terms of subsection (1) are in accordance with the requirements of this Part, he shall refer the application to the council for decision.

5) A council may refuse to register an applicant if in its opinion the applicant, not withstanding that he is otherwise qualified, is not a fit person to be registered because of –

a) His physical or mental health; or
b) The fact that he is not of good character or reputation; or
c) The fact that he does not have an adequate knowledge of the English language; or
d) Any conduct on his part which, if he had been registered, would have constituted improper or disgraceful conduct which, having regard to the profession or calling for which he has applied to be registered, is improper or disgraceful:
Provided that, before refusing registration in terms of this paragraph, a council shall refer the matter to its disciplinary committee and Part XIX of the Health Professions Act (HPA) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, as if the applicant were registered in the register on which he has applied to be registered.

Provisional Registration Health Professions Act Chapter 27:19 Section 88

1) The council may accept any qualification which has not been prescribed in terms of section (85) as entitling the holder to be provisionally registered if, in all other respects, he satisfies the conditions and requirements of this Part for registration: Provided that the acceptance of a particular qualification for the provisional registration of one person shall not confer any right to any form of registration on any other person holding the same qualification.

2) the council may, as a condition of accepting any qualification for the purposes of subsection (1) and before an applicant for provisional registration is provisionally registered, require the applicant to do either or both of the following -:

1. a) to acquire experience at such institution or with an employer approved by the council and for such period, not exceeding thirty months, as the council may specify; and
   b) to pass, during the period of his provisional registration, such examination as the council may specify.
   
   

3) An application for provisional registration in terms of subsection (1) shall be made in such form and shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed by the council concerned.

4) Subject to this section, a person who is provisionally registered in terms of this section shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be registered in the appropriate register for his profession or calling.

5) Subject to subsection (6), the initial period of provisional registration in terms of this section shall be three years.

6) If a person who is provisionally registered in terms of this section –

1. a) Submits, not later than four months before the expiry of his provisional registration, a written application together with the appropriate fee, if any, prescribed by the council concerned; and
   b) Has satisfied any conditions fixed by the council concerned in terms of subsection (2); he shall be registered on the appropriate permanent register unless the council considers that he should remain provisionally registered, in which case the council shall extend his provisional registration for such period, not exceeding one year at a time and subject to such conditions, as it thinks fit: Provided that the period of provisional registration shall not be extended in terms of this subsection beyond an additional three years.

7) The council may at any time cancel the provisional registration of any person:
Provided that, before doing so the council shall afford the person concerned an opportunity of showing cause before the council as to why his provisional registration shall not be cancelled.

8) Any decision of the council under this section shall be final and not subject to appeal.

Health Institutions Registration Health Professions Act Chapter 27:19 Section 100

1) The Authority (referring to the Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe) shall establish and cause to be maintained a register of health institutions in which shall be recorded –

1. a) such particulars of all registered institutions as may be prescribed by the Authority; and
2. b) any conditions subject to which any health institution has been registered; and
3. c) the cancellation, suspension or renewal of the registration of any health institution.

2) Any member of the public shall be entitled to inspect the register, free of charge, at all reasonable times at the offices of the Authority.

Application for registration of health institution

Health Professions Act Chapter 27:19 Section 101

1) An application for the registration of any health institution shall be made to the appropriate practice control committee in the form prescribed by the council and shall be accompanied the prescribed fee, if any.

2) On receipt of an application in terms of subsection (1), the practice control committee may –

1. a) Cause such investigation or inquiry to be conducted as it considers necessary or desirable, including the hearing of evidence from the applicant; and
2. b) Where necessary, require the applicant to provide further particulars concerning the health institution concerned and the use to which it is to be put.

3) Any person who, in an application in terms of subsection (1) or in response to any inquiry or request made in terms of subsection (2), makes any statement which he knows to be false or does not believe on reasonable grounds to be true shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Registration of health institution. Health Professions Act Chapter 27:19 Section 103Tab Title

Where a practice control committee authorizes the registration of a health institution, whether with or without conditions, it shall without delay notify the applicant and the Secretary-General of its decision, and the Secretary-General shall there upon –

1. a) Cause the particulars of the health institution concerned to be entered in the register of health institutions, together with a note of any conditions imposed in terms of subsection (2) of section 102 (HPA); and
2. b) Cause the applicant to be issued with a registration certificate in the form prescribed by the Authority, which certificate shall show the purpose for which the health institution is registered and any conditions imposed on its registration in terms of subsection (2) of section 102 (HPA).

Intern Registration Health Professions Act Chapter 27:19 Section 87

Any person who is required in terms of paragraph (b) of section 85 (HPA) after the acquisition of any qualification to undergo a period of training before he is entitled to be registered shall, subject to this Part and if he satisfies the registrar that –

1. a) He is being employed at an institution or with an employer approved by the council the purpose; and
2. b) The appropriate application fee has been paid;

Be entitled to be registered in a register kept in terms of subsection (3) (HPA) of section 77.

Erasures from Register

1) The council may direct its registrar to erase from a register –

1. a) The name of any person who –
2. fails to pay any fee due in terms of section 76 on the date on which that fee becomes payable; or
3. has failed, within six months after the registrar has sent an enquiry by registered letter to his address as shown in the register, to notify the registrar of his present address:

Provided that, if such a registered letter is returned to the registrar because it was unclaimed or for any other reason, the council may forthwith direct that the person’s name be erased from the register; or

iii. has requested that his name be removed from the register and, if so required by the council, has lodged an affidavit that no disciplinary or criminal proceedings are being or are likely to be taken against him in connection with the practice of his profession or calling; or

1. is resident or practicing in Zimbabwe and whose name has been removed from the roll, register or record of any university, hospital, college, training school, institution, society or other body from which he received the qualification upon the basis of which he was registered; or
2. has been registered by the registrar in terms of subsection (3) of section 86, if the council is satisfied that had the application been referred to it in terms of subsection(4) of that section, it would have refused to register the applicant in terms of subsection (5) of that section: Provided that the council may not direct the erasure of the name of any person in terms of this subparagraph if more than six months has elapsed since that person was registered by the registrar; b) any entry which is approved to the satisfaction of the council to have been made in error or through fraudulent misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact or in circumstances not authorized by the Health Professions Act (HPA)

2) The name of the person shall be erased from –

1. a) A register of vocational trainees or a provisional register –
2. when the person is registered on a permanent register; or
3. on the expiry of the period of registration on such register;
4. b) A provisional register on the cancellation of the person’s registration in terms of subsection (7) of section 88.

3) The registrar shall erase from a register of vocational trainees the name of a person who is registered on that register-

1. c) who a advises the registrar that he is leaving Zimbabwe, whether after completion of his service as a trainee or otherwise; or
2. d) thirty months after the date of his registration, unless he satisfies the registrar that, due to illness or similar cause, the period of his training has been extended; or
3. e) on the termination of his period of training, where it has been extended in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (b); or

4) Before the council directs an erasure to be made in terms of subparagraph (v) of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subsection (1), the council shall if possible, afford the person concerned an opportunity of showing cause before the council as to why the erasure should not be made.

5) A certificate of registration issued to a person whose name has been erased from a register in terms of this section shall be deemed to have been cancelled on the date of the erasure, and the person concerned shall cease to be registered with effect from that date.

Fees & Payments

To legally practise a profession in Zimbabwe all health personal must be registered by the appropriate Council and must be in possession of a current practising certificate.

Practising with an invalid practicing certificate constitutes an offence in terms of the Health Professions Act (Chapter 27:19) which may result in the suspension from the appropriate register of complete removal.

A person whose name is suspended or removal due to non payment of practising fees or for other reasons and continues to practice the profession or calling may be liable to prosecution and or face disciplinary measures.

In order to restore the name on the appropriate register a restoration fees as stipulated by Council is required.

Late payment penalty is charged on fees paid after the due date.