The Zambia Royal Medical University has revealed that the institution is facing delays in awarding certificates to its students because the university has encountered challenges in obtaining high-quality certificates with security features, after it cancelled a contract with UNZA and contracted an Indian firm.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times (ZBT), Lemmy Phiri, the CEO of Zambia Royal Medical University, emphasized the university’s commitment to ensuring the authenticity and value of the certificates by importing them from India, where they are equipped with essential security features, including a hologram that cannot be reproduced in Zambia.
He noted that previous attempts to produce the certificates locally did not meet their quality standards, leading to the decision to contract an overseas provider.
Acknowledging the impact of the delay on the affected students, Phiri assured that the university is working diligently to expedite the process and aims to provide the certificates to the students by the 11th of June 2024. He also clarified that this delay specifically impacts two Master’s program students and approximately 60 Diploma program students.
Despite the challenges, Phiri expressed the university’s unwavering commitment to delivering certificates of high value to the students and affirmed the institution’s dedication to completing the certificate preparation process within the stipulated timeframe.
“The certificate comes with a hologram which cannot be printed in Zambia and we had to import them from India to avoid fake certificates and the import is done with a view of having good quality certificate”.
At first, the institution contracted UNZA to produce the certificate but we were not happy with the product, so we canceled the contract and contracted Indian in which it takes about 3 months for the certificates to be in Zambia, said Phiri.
Phiri said the university explained to the students, as an institution we want something of value and as soon as the certificates are in will give them to the students.
As the institution we have given ourselves to finish the process of preparing of certificates to the 11th of June 2014, then we start giving the students their certificates, said Phiri.
The students affected are two that were studying a Master’s program and about 60 students who were studying a Diploma program, but this is the time the institution is producing Master’s program students, he added.
