EAC Medical and Dental Practitioners Regulatory Council Credits KIU Medical and

Posted by Md Meraj Ali on March 1st, 2020

Following the third joint inspection of medical and dental schools and teaching hospitals in Uganda, the East African Community (EAC) and the National Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Boards and Councils credited Kampala International University (KIU) Western campus in Ishaka and urged them to continue the training and admission of dental and medical students. 

This was as a result of the inspection carried out from 10th to 14th February 2020 by the EAC, National Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Boards and Councils, in the seven universities offering medical and dental courses including Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine & Dentistry Mengo, Makerere University Dental School Kampala, Kabale University Medical School, Islamic University in Uganda (Habib Medical School Kibuli), St. Augustine International University Medical School Bunga, Gulu University Medical School, and Busitema University.

Executed by a team composed of the registrars and the chairpersons of the education committee of the EAC Partner States Medical and Dental Councils, the officials examined a number of gaps and loopholes which need to be bridged for production of well qualified medical officers and dental surgeons.

"The inspection is peddled at establishing the conformity of the universities to the standards and guidelines governing medical and dental schools in the EAC with the view of improving the service and promotion of education and training in the region," stated the report. 

According to the report, the inspection focused on major areas of governance and management, academic programs, human resource, student affairs, infrastructure, monitoring and evaluation of programs, and research and innovation. The joint team interacted with university management, teaching hospital management, academic staff, and students.

The report also went on to state 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,” says the report.

The Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Boards and Councils also ordered the closure of Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine and Dentistry on findings that the university had no single dental chair in the whole department. As a penalty, the council urged the university to stop admission of students and separate the Faculty of Medicine from the Faculty of Dentistry.

St. Augustine International University, Kabale University, Busitema University’s Faculty of Medicine, and Gulu University were also ordered by the council to stop the admission of new students and close both Faculties of Dentistry and Medicine for failure to meet minimum requirements for training of students.

The board further directed all universities which failed to meet minimum requirements to purchase new equipment including dental chairs, compressors, and instruments.

With the positive report on KIU and Mbarara University of Science and Technology, the two universities were given a green light to continue admitting dental and medical students.