East African Gazette
Kampala
All roads are busy today November 8, 2023 at Old Mulago based Uganda Institute of Allied Health Management Sciences (UIAHMS) as the institution is set to graduate over 723 students and Janet Kataha Museveni, the first lady and Minister of Education and Sports IS expected to be the guest of honor
In an exclusive interview with East African Gazette yesterday, the Institute principal Rose Nassali said, they are excited to host their 15th graduation ceremony and they will be awarding both certificates and diplomas to over 723 students. of those 296 girls and 427 males respectively.
‘As UIAHMS, we are delighted to host the 15th graduation ceremony at which we expect the first lady and minister of education and sports Janet Kataha Museveni to officiate, she will witness the exit into the workspaces a total of 723 students who would be awarded with both certificates and diplomas in various medical related courses’ noted Nassali.
She commended her mother ministry of education for the enormous support extended to this institute which opened its education study doors in 1902 saying the warm relationship has helped strengthen and deepen collaboration for the good of the country.
She congratulated the board, management, parents, students and general staff for reaching this landmark achievement saying the institute shall continue making positive strides by remaining a center of excellence in provision of high quality medical related training professions to meet the current challenges.
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The institute academic registrar Dr. Nabaloga Birungi Elsie separately told this website that last year they graduated a total of 731 among them 376 females and 355 males saying the large number of females was encouraging especially given that females are the engine of community empowerment and development.
Birungi pointed out that their institute with a student population of over 3,000 and staff capacity numbering 264 basically trains medical specialists in 17 courses all medical oriented which aims at helping government in building a strong human resource medical profession capable of fighting the escalating cases of illness among them non communicable diseases (NCDs).
She revealed that they have embarked on the journey of beginning offering degree courses starting with medical laboratory technologists which is affiliated to the Mbarara university of science and technology (MUST), as they will gradually roll out to cover entomology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, anesthesia and ear nose and throat (ENT) among others.
She appealed to all outgoing students to come back and undertake these degree courses given that the institute largely exposed them to practical community outreach services making them the suitable officers to deal with NCDs and other illnesses.
Birungi, a dental surgeon by training and tutor further appealed to students to join them to study a diploma in speech and language therapy which is a rare but very important specialty as it positions the student therapist to professionally be in position to detect defects among new born babies who medically fail to start talking on time.
New research by medical experts suggests that cases of new born babies failing to talk on time are on the increase which calls for the enrollment of more students to position themselves and tap into this fragile but very important profession as this can effectively help reduce on the numbers of such kids affected by speech defects.
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Birungi said courses offered include medical laboratory technology, pharmacy, medical radiology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Others are orthopedics medicine, medical entomology and parasitology, public health dentistry, orthopedic technology, dental technology and clinical and community nutrition, medical records and health informatics, environmental health sciences as well as Anesthesia, health leadership and management and health promotion and education respectively.
Most hospitals across the country do not have such officers yet they are critical however she gave an example of clinical nutrition in relation to health which brings in the element of NCDs meaning that students that qualify here are deployed to cover the NCD sector given their training background of engaging with communities through sharing of medical challenges information.
Turning to challenges faced by the institute, Birungi commended the government for constructing for them a brand-new female’s hostel with a capacity to accommodate 350 girls saying this was a major milestone achievement because out of 520 females who study with them residing at external hostels around the institute, 350 are now secured their on-campus residency status.
She appealed to the government to consider securing for them extra transport given that most of their coursework was outreach study majoring in community engagement