Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) has objected to the Court’s ruling in which the government was ordered to deploy medical graduates from King Ceasor University, arguing that the graduates are “half-baked”.
The graduates had dragged the UMDPC and the Attorney General to Court after the Council refused to submit their names to the Health Ministry which deploys them based on the Council’s recommendation.
Speaking to journalists in Kampala on Monday, Associate Prof Joel Okullo, the UMDPC chairperson, said they would appeal against the November 30 ruling by Justice Musa Ssekaana of the High Court in Kampala because it undermines their mandate of protecting the public from doctors who do not meet standards.
“We went to King Ceasor University (KCU) several times. We held many meetings with them and did inspections involving UMDPC, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the East African Community. They all spoke with one voice. This institution doesn’t have the facility that can produce the kind of doctor that we want,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the law as it is, when a judgment is made, it stands. But if you have heard me right, and if you have heard the processes that we have gone through and the desires that we have for the medical profession of this country and the desire to protect the society and the desire to regulate the profession, we cannot fold our hands and watch this scenario go on. The short-term plan is that we will appeal against this ruling and the long-term plan is that we will look forward to amending our Act so that we can work more effectively and efficiently and collaborate better with the NCHE,” he added.
According to information from UMDPC, KCU has around 135 graduates of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBCh.B) that should be deployed for internship. The 1,901 medical graduates from other teaching Universities, started internships in August this year, a one-year placement to get a permanent practicing license.
Justice Ssekaana, in his ruling, noted that the applicants are “graduates of KCU which is duly licensed by the NCHE which is the national regulator of all universities in Uganda.”
However, he also noted that the “Medical and Dental Practitioner’s Council is equally mandated under “Section 3(a) of the Mental and Dental Practitioners Act; to monitor and exercise general supervision and control over and maintenance of professional medical and dental educational standards, including continuing education.”
Justice Ssekaana in his final ruling said: “The court issues an order of Certiorari against the 1st respondent (UMDPC) quashing their decision not to deploy the applicants and other medical students of King Ceasor University to the National Medical Internship programme.” Certiorari is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency.
He continued: “This court also issues a declaratory order that the applicants and all the medical graduates from King Ceasor University who duly completed Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBCh.B) have a right to be deployed for internship.
“This court further issues an order of Mandamus compelling the 1st respondent to forward the names of the applicants and other medical graduates from King Ceasor University for medical internship.
“The council, which is in charge of submitting names of graduates that should be deployed by the Health Ministry, said they would appeal the court decision because the university lacks the required facility and manpower to train doctors that can provide quality care. Each party should bear its costs,” the ruling reads.
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