Health trainers call for localized curricula, better learning infrastructure 

To improve the quality of health workers churned from institutions, health trainers have called for deliberate measures to ensure the interconnectedness of professional training and education and health service delivery.

The trainers want all curricula being developed for health professionals to be tailored to the country’s community health needs, epidemiological context, and demographic challenges. This is in addition to undertaking specialized care courses to address health gaps due to the changing disease patterns worldwide.

Health professionals and trainers shared their concerns yesterday during the closure of a week-long second National Health Professionals’ Education and Training and Health Care conference held at Imperial Resort beach hotel in Entebbe. 

The conference, a forum where all health education players and healthcare providers come together to share knowledge and challenges affecting the sector, was held under the theme: “Enhancing Professionals’’ Education and Training to Accelerate Health Coverage in Uganda”.

According to the commissioner in charge of Health Education and Training at the Education ministry, Dr Safinah Kisu Museene, health trainers unanimously agreed to uptake continuous professional development and lifelong learning to keep themselves abreast with the changing demands in the health sector.

“This conference is a forum to learn and unlearn. I am glad that health trainers have appreciated the importance of digital learning to match the current health system dynamics. ICT is not taking away jobs of health professionals but enhancing their skills to offer more specialized treatment of our patients,” Museene said.

She called for more government funding to improve the infrastructural capacity of health training institutions to accommodate the increasing numbers of students joining the health profession.  

At the conference, professionals noted that achieving universal health care requires a multi-sectoral collaborative approach but many sector players are unaware of their roles. They tasked the Education and Health ministries to ensure mass sensitization of the various stakeholders to guarantee improved service delivery. 

The state minister for Higher Education, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, who presided over the closing ceremony, commended participants for attendance and urged them to bring new members on board so that the conference becomes a “must-attend” to all professionals in the education and health sectors.

“Ugandans have entrusted us with the critical job of preparing for them health professionals. This is a tough assignment that must be taken seriously. I urge you to share the information and knowledge gained from this conference with those who did not attend so that we achieve a critical mass of health officers,” Muyingo said. 

He emphasized the need to integrate 21st-century skills of creativity, problem-solving, and innovation while providing health care and education.

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AWARDED

Meanwhile, Allied Health professionals and nursing and midwifery training institutions that were initially nominated for health training awards were recognized at the closing ceremony.

The executive secretary of the Uganda Allied Health Examinations Board, Joseph Agondua, who presented the finalists said individuals must have continuously served in either public or private health training institutions for more than 10 years.

“The person must have held a good professional performance or made remarkable achievement in the teaching service,” Agondua said.

This is in addition to a willingness to take on assignments with a rich academic and professional profile showing evidence of professional growth. 

The principal of Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Science -Mulago, Rose Nassali, was awarded the best principal of Allied Health Training Institutions. Gift Pachuto of Gulu College of Health Sciences won the best allied health tutor award while Sr. Annet Kagoro of Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital took the best clinical mentor award. 

For nursing and midwifery institutions, Meryce Mutyaba who serves at Mengo School of Nursing and Midwifery was voted the best principal. Sr. Catherine Kemigisha from Mutolere School of Nursing and Midwifery took the Best Allied Health Tutor award. At the same time, Elizabeth Aguti from Jinja Regional Referral Hospital won the Best Clinical Mentor award. 

nangonzi@observer.ug