The Makerere University academic registrar, Alfred Namoah Masikye shocked the entire fraternity with an abrupt revelation that the first-year admissions for the 2020/2021 Bachelor of Dental Surgery had been suspended.
In his letter, Masikye added that the decision was a result of the directive issued by the East African Medical and Dental Council that required the university to fulfill the requirements for the program.
Makerere University, however, makes it clear that such a directive didn’t mean the closure of the dental school, as explained by Dr. Umar Kakumba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic affairs.
“What they said when they came for the first inspection was that we need to have a ratio of one lecturer to four students. According to the National Council for Higher Education, the ideal ratio is 1:10, and Makerere had 1:7 which we have now addressed,” Dr. Kakumba said.
Other than 1:4 Ratio, Dental Council Demanded Makerere to Own a Dental Hospital
He added that the council demanded that the university should have a dental hospital of its own, which they have also addressed.
“So, Makerere has actually set it up. Last year we set up the dental hospital. Right now, it’s fully operational, with 22 dental chairs, so even that requirement was secured.”
New 2020/2021 Dental Registered Students Will Not be Shifted
The letter by the academic registrar stated that the students that had registered for the 2020/2021 academic year would ideally have to be shifted to other choices, but Kakumba says this may not necessarily happen.
He further says that halting business was a temporary measure that will be lifted probably after the next inspection slated for next month.
“The reinspection was supposed to come in May, unfortunately. Initially, it was March, then we requested for more time to complete the expansion of the department,” he added, “They’re coming next month in July.”
Other consultants in this institution say it’s still running, due to the mere fact that they still have the second year, third year, and fourth-year students that were not stopped.
Initially, the Makerere university dental school was housed at Mulago hospital but now, they have a fully equipped dental hospital within the school. More to that, 22 dental chairs which are fully operational, have been installed as part of the requirements, and the construction of a permanent dental hospital is still ongoing.
Makerere University Has Trained Over 300 Dentists Since Inception
Since its inception in 1982, Makerere University Dental School has trained about 300 dentists. This leaves the dentist-patient ratio at an alarming 1:150,000 people ratio, compared to the general health doctor-patient ratio of 1:11,000 patients.
The school admits about 40 students annually and it takes a total period of 5 years to fully train a doctor.
VIDEO: Makerere University Dental School Ready for Reinspection
Video Courtesy of NTV Uganda.