BUSITEMA – The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) after a series of inspections has granted Busitema University the green lights to start training students in medicine.
In a letter dated 28thh August, Professor Mary J. N. Okwakol the Executive Director NCHE said her body (NCHE) and the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) as mandated by the Joint East African Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council of the partner states conducted a re-inspection of Busitema’s Medical School on the 11th of August 2020.
“The re-inspection as you are aware was a follow up on the progress of the implementation of the recommendations made by the 3rd Joint inspection of the Medical and Dental Schools and Teaching hospitals in Uganda by a joint team of technical/ health experts from EAC partner states’ National Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Regulatory Councils from 10th to 14th February 2020,” the letter reads.
Okwakol explains that the findings of the re-inspection were considered by the EAC Joint National Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Councils of the partner states in a meeting which took place in Nairobi on 27th August 2020.
“The meeting agreed that Busitema University Medical School meets the minimum requirements of Medical doctors registrable within the EAC as set out in the guidelines. Upon qualification therefore, the graduates shall be eligible for reciprocal recognition within the EAC partner states,” she wrote.
The University was also cleared to admit students to the Bachelor of medicine and Bachelor of surgery program, ensuring adherence to the recommended number of students
Busitema University also registered a significant improvement by Medical School in implementing recommendations of the EAC Joint inspection team especially in the area of staffing and infrastructure development.
The inspection which was rolled out in seven universities offering medical and dental courses executed by a team composed of the chairpersons, registrars and the chairpersons of education committee of the EAC partner states medical and dental councils. The officials saw a number of gaps which need to be bridged for production of well qualified medical officers and dental surgeons.
The inspection took place in Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of medicine Mengo, Uganda Christian University (UCU) school of Dentistry Mengo, Makerere University dental school Kampala, Kabale University medical school, and Islamic University in Uganda (Habib medical school Kibuli), St Augustine International University medical school Bunga, Gulu university medical school, and Busitema University.
