Muyingo warns health institutions against admitting unqualified students

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The State Minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, has criticized the enrollment and admission of unqualified students in health training institutions across the country.

Muyingo said that the ministry is also aware, through reports and complaints, of some students resorting to using different results to secure admission into various health training institutions.

Muyingo was speaking on Thursday during the release of the December 2023 Nurses and Midwifery Examination results.

Addressing proprietors and principals of health training institutions, the minister emphasized the existence of admission guidelines designed to establish standardized, reliable, and uniform admission practices nationwide.

In health training, practices such as over-enrollment are discouraged to ensure that the number of trainees aligns with the available facilities and maintains equity to attain desired competencies. However, various institutions, especially in the private sector, have been reported to exceed their capacity with a high number of learners.

Additionally, some institutions admit students who fail to meet minimum requirements, such as age, as all trainees are expected to be above 18. Every year, the ministry conducts a validation process for the students admitted to institutions, but to date, several institutions still have students who don’t meet the admission requirements.

Muyingo said that the Ministry of Education and Sports will take action against institutions lacking appropriate training facilities commensurate with the required number of students, including potential closures.

Henry Mwebesa, the Director of General Health Services in the Ministry of Health, emphasized the importance of producing quality graduates. He advised that training institutions should prioritize practical training for nurses and midwives, encouraging them to actively engage inwards and hospitals to gain hands-on experience.

Mwebesa also pointed out that some private health training institutions fail to prepare nurses and midwives for night duties, a common requirement in their professional roles once they graduate and enter the workforce.

John Wakida, Chairperson of UNMEB, revealed plans to enhance the quality of trainees by initiating training for 468 hospital mentors. The training will focus on practical skill assessment and the use of practical logbooks for continuous assessment during placement.

Helen Mukakarisa Kataratambi, the Executive Secretary of the Uganda Nurses and Midwifery Examination Board, said that 54,864 candidates sat for exams from 126 licensed nursing and midwifery training institutions. This included both final-year students and continuing students.

Out of the total candidates, 46,997, representing 92.9% of continuing students, passed their examinations. This included 6,084 at the diploma level and 40,913 at the certificate level. However, 3,297 continuing students were ungraded and will need to resit the examination before progressing to the next semester. Among the ungraded students, 13 have exhausted their chances and will be discontinued.

At the certificate level for the final semester, the performance was subpar, with just under 60% passing the paper. Out of these, 1,636 passed at the pass level, 9 passed with distinction, 905 obtained credit, and 231 were ungraded. Comparatively, in 2022, 79.7% of 10,351 students passed with at least a credit, whereas this year, only 32.5% passed with a credit and above.

The statement of results from UNMEB attributed the low performance of certificate candidates to students’ inability to emphasize learning concepts of reproductive health, gynecology, and guidance related to midwifery practice.

At the diploma level, 1,447 candidates were registered for the 2023 UNMEB final semester, and 1,408 (97.3%) passed the December 2023 final semester examinations, compared to 428 who passed in December 2022. However, diploma students achieved relatively better results, with 1,147 candidates representing 79.3% attaining at least a credit level,  and 129 at the pass level. Only 32 were ungraded, while 7 were absent.

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