Makerere University Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration, Prof William Bazeyo has told members of the Parliament Education Committee that the delays in the renovation and upgrade of Mulago Hospital have greatly affected the medical students.
On Wednesday, Bazeyo and other officials from Makerere University were appearing before the Committee of Parliament to present the university’s budget framework paper for the financial year 2018/19.
Prof. Bazeyo told legislators that ever since the large scale renovations and upgrade works at Mulago hospital commenced in October 2014, the students at the College of Health Sciences lack the necessary facilities and space for practical training.
“Since they started the renovations, the College of Health Science has been taking our students to Kirudu and Kawempe which has been very expensive. The facilities and equipment in those hospitals are not appropriate for training,” Bazeyo told the committee.
“So, I can say that the graduates we are producing since the works began are short of the skills we used to give to our students,” he said.
Legislators questioned why the University has not focused on upgrading the University Hospital and tranform it into a training hospital.
However, Bazeyo noted that the available University Hospital lacks the facilities required for training, hence calling for Parliament to support the construction of their own hospital.
The Vice Chancellor revealed that the University has recently engaged the Ministry of Health requesting that Kawempe Hospital be placed under Makerere to enable the university equip it with the facilities suitable for training.
But instead, MPs on the Committee challenged the university to consider constructing their own hospital rather than taking over a hospital that is currently under the auspices of the Ministry of Health.
Bazeeyo responded that the proposal by MPs is in the University’s long term plan which they have commenced pursuing.
“The acquisition of Kawempe hospital is for a short term but in the long term, we have land in Makerere totaling to 8 acres which we have set apart to construct the hospital. We have investors that have already expressed interests,” said Prof Bazeyo.
