Makerere University has been ordered to stop the admission of dental students over dentistry’s failure to meet minimum requirements for training of students.
Uganda’s oldest University was ordered by the East African Community (EAC), national medical and dental practitioner’s boards and councils following third joint inspection of medical and dental schools and teaching hospitals in Uganda. The inspection was carried out from 10th to 14th February 2020.
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.
According to the report, the inspection peddled at establishing the conformity of the universities of the standards and guidelines governing medical and dental schools in the EAC with a view of improving the service and promotion of education and training in the region.
When we contacted the associated professional for KIU Janice Busingye, she acknowledged the receipt of the reports saying that they had been cleared in 2019. “Our effort is to produce credible and professional doctors,” she said. When we contacted the Makerere Public Relations officer Mrs Rita Namisango, she declined to comment on the matter.
The report says that Makerere University shall not admit any new dental students for the academic year 2020/2021 until a re-inspection by the joint EAC partner states’ medical board and councils is carried out at the university’s cost and approval given.
“The school of dentistry does not meet the minimum requirements for training of medical/dental students and therefore, upon qualification, their graduates shall not be eligible for reciprocal recognition within the EAC partner states as set out in the mutual recognition agreement and EAC inspect and recognition of medical and dental school guidelines,” reads the report.
The medical and dental practitioner’s boards and councils also ordered for the closure of Uganda Christian University (UCU) school of medicine and dentistry. The council urged the university to stop admission of students and separate the faculty of medicine from dentistry. According to findings, UCU and Makerere had no single dental chair in the whole department.
The council also directed St. Augustine International University, Kabale University, Busitema University faculty of medicine, Gulu University to stop admission of new students and close both faculties of dentistry and medicines for failure to meet minimum requirements for training of students.
The board directed all universities which failed to meet minimum requirements to to purchase new equipment including dental chairs, compressors and instruments.
However, report says Islamic University in Uganda met the required minimum standards but the institution was ordered to met some of the basics they were told to install by the inspection committee.
The committee which earlier inspected the universities, gave Kampala International University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology a green light as having attained the requirements.
