6th June 2015
The
Pharmacy Council of Tanzania has made it clear that it recognizes courses
offered by the Kampala International University (KIU), Tanzania Branch, thus
students graduating from the Gongolamboto campus will be registered by the
professional body accordingly.
Giving the go-ahead notice, the
pharmacists’ council early this week issued an official letter to the KIU
management setting out cardinal terms to be followed by graduating students to
attain full registration as professional practitioners.
A letter inked by the council’s
registrar, Ms Elizabeth Shekalaghe dated 28th May 2015, with Ref.
No.AB300/321/02/22 states that the move follows the university’s application
for approval of providing pharmacy education and training “since your
university has been recognized by the Tanzania Commission for Universities
(TCU) as constituent college of KIU Kampala... All the enrolled Bachelor of
Pharmacy Degree students upon completion of their courses should report to TCU
for the evaluation of their awards before undergoing internship and being
registered by the council as pharmacists.”
The letter goes on to explain that
“certificate students who have recently completed their courses with required
entry qualifications or passed the bridging course shall report to the National
Council for Technical Education (NACTE) for evaluation of their awards before
sitting for the professional competence-based examinations conducted by the
council and get registered thereafter.
According to the letter, certificate
and diploma students enrolled in the university shall follow the university’s
curriculum and upon completion of their courses they should expressly report to
NACTE for registration procedures as professionals recognized by the council.
The pharmacists’ body was optimistic
that the university’s admission criteria and curriculum will remain consistent
with NACTE standards and channeled through the Central Admission System (CAS).
Last weekend the registrar confirmed
that the council had been instructed by the government to expedite the
registration of pharmacy courses offered by KIU in order to end the standoff
between the two institutions that sparked student strikes.
Ms Elizabeth Shekalaghe, speaking to
a city newspaper, said that the council had appointed an independent committee
with members from the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), the National
Council for Technical Education (NACTE) and the Muhimbili University for Health
and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) to review the curriculum for KIU pharmacy courses
in order to identify any gaps and make recommendations to the full council
before its proper registration.
Student riots at the campus prompted
a section of lawmakers to seek government response on the matter, with Suzan
Lyimo, a CHADEMA Special Seats MP, raising her voice mid this week. She wanted
to know when the government will adequately settle the contention on the
courses, with the Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Anne
Kilango asserting that the government was keenly working on the issue through
the relevant authorities.
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday,
the MP said that following rampant student complaints at KIU, St. Joseph
University of Technology and IMTU, the chairperson of the Parliamentary
Committee for Social Service, Ms Margaret Sitta will steer a probe team to
provide a report to the House before the budget session closes business.
KIU Deputy Vice-Chancellor,
academics, Dr Abanis Turyahebwa says the campus has solid teaching staff with
immense experience. “We are now readying for July and September intakes with
the high bride curriculum standards since the appointed committee had already
reviewed the courses and forwarded their recommendations to the full
council.”
To the registrar, KIU has now
furnished the council with all the necessary documents, in which case an
appointed committee had reviewed the documents. There was a state of
uncertainty regarding the pharmacy courses registration but things had gone
well, she points out.
Dr Abanis rejected claims that KIU
had not responded to council requests. "We have not refrained from
providing any documents regarding technical issues as put across by the
council," he emphasised.
"We are committed to promote
health and education in the country and that is why we have invested millions
of dollars in the ongoing construction of a state-of-the art hospital at
Gongolamboto to complement government efforts to expand health services,"
he further noted.
This was a good example of promoting
public-private-partnership, where the university devises medical health
education at certificate, diploma, bachelor’s and post graduate levels to
expand professionalism in this sector, the campus administrator underlined.
CHANZO:IPP MEDIA
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