The State Minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, has raised concerns about the admission of unqualified students into health training institutions nationwide.
Muyingo highlighted reports and complaints received by the ministry regarding students using falsified results to secure admission into various health training programs.
During the release of the December 2023 Nurses and Midwifery Examination results, Muyingo addressed proprietors and principals of health training institutions, stressing the importance of adhering to standardized admission guidelines.
He emphasized the need to prevent practices such as over-enrollment, ensuring that the number of trainees aligns with available facilities to maintain quality education and achieve desired competencies.
Despite existing guidelines, some institutions, particularly in the private sector, have been reported to exceed their capacity by admitting a high number of students, leading to concerns about compromised training quality.
Additionally, Muyingo pointed out instances where institutions admit students who fail to meet minimum requirements, including age restrictions, which dictate that all trainees must be above 18 years old.
To address these issues, the Ministry of Education and Sports plans to take action against institutions lacking adequate training facilities relative to the number of students enrolled, which may include potential closures.
Henry Mwebesa, Director of General Health Services in the Ministry of Health, stressed the importance of producing quality graduates and encouraged practical training for nurses and midwives to gain hands-on experience.
Mwebesa highlighted a common deficiency in private health training institutions, where nurses and midwives are not adequately prepared for night duties, essential for their professional roles upon graduation.
John Wakida, Chairperson of UNMEB, announced plans to enhance the quality of trainees by providing training for hospital mentors to assess practical skills and use practical logbooks for continuous assessment.
Helen Mukakarisa Kataratambi, Executive Secretary of the Uganda Nurses and Midwifery Examination Board, reported that out of 54,864 candidates from 126 licensed nursing and midwifery training institutions, 92.9% of continuing students passed their examinations.
However, a significant number of continuing students were ungraded and will need to resit the examination before progressing to the next semester, indicating ongoing challenges in training quality.
Performance at the certificate level was subpar, attributed to students’ difficulty in grasping concepts related to reproductive health, gynecology, and midwifery practice guidance.
While diploma-level candidates achieved relatively better results, concerns remain regarding training quality and adherence to standardized admission practices in health training institutions across Uganda.
