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Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Christian University- UCU has acquired new equipment for the school of medicine and dentistry to support the practical learning of students.
Part of the consignment worth 1.46 Billion Shillings shall be delivered to training hospitals that are used by UCU students for internship training. They include Mengo, Namirembe, Mukono General Hospital and the Allan Galpin Health Center II-AGHCII, the university’s health facility.
The equipment includes ten dental suits and twelve dental phantom heads. A dental suite covers among others gloves, hand instruments, face masks, toothbrushes, anaesthetics solutions, imaging devices, dental chairs and CAD/CAM systems software used to design and finish prototypes.
Dr James Magala, the UCU Dean of Dentistry says they lacked adequate equipment to run the operations of the department. He notes that most of this equipment shall help students especially finalists.
The National Council for Higher Education authorized UCU to admit only ten dentistry students each academic year.
However last year in February, the university had been directed to halt admissions until September over the lack of appropriate infrastructure and equipment. This followed the third joint inspection of medical and dental schools and teaching hospitals in Uganda carried out from 10 to 14 February 2020 by the East African Community-EAC Joint National Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council.
The inspection reviewed areas of governance and management, academic programs, human resource, student affairs, infrastructure, monitoring, and evaluation of programs, research and innovation.
Dr Gerald Tumusiime, the UCU Dean School of Medicine says most of their students have been complaining about the lack of adequate equipment for practical training in the hospital.
“We are sure the new equipment is going to boost the skills lab where students can train before experimenting the real life. Most of the hospitals only have the equipment to handle patients but not enough for students to practice.” Dr Tumusiime says.
Dr John Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Charge of Academics says the university considered investing in medical school to comply with requirements for the supervising entities such as NCHE and the East African Community-EAC Joint National Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council.
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