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Pharmacy council recognises KIU courses, says Registrar

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6th June 2015

Kampala International University (KIU)

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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