Uganda lacks dental experts
Sep 03, 2009
UGANDA has only five dental technicians, the youngest of whom is aged 65 years, the principal director, Mulago Paramedical School, Rwandembo Mugisha, said on Monday.
By Patrick Jaramogi
UGANDA has only five dental technicians, the youngest of whom is aged 65 years, the principal director, Mulago Paramedical School, Rwandembo Mugisha, said on Monday.
A dental technician is the person who manufactures materials that are used by dentists.
“As we talk today we have only five techinicians. We are operating in a crisis,†he said. He said it was unusual to find a dental technician without grey hair and warned that the country would soon run out of dental technicians if urgent measures were not taken to produce more.
Rwandembo was speaking during a press briefing he called at the paramedical school in Mulago to clarify the recent reports that the dental school was to be sold to an investor.
He said the allegations were baseless, ill-intentioned and geared towards inciting the public.
“The dental school is not up for sale to any investor. We are only remodeling the school into a modern academic centre,†he said.
“The Government has released sh3.5b for remodeling the school. Male and female students used to share the same hostels and this is no more,†he said.
Rwandembo said it was sad the developments at the institution had been misrepresented and undermined.
He said Mulago Hospital should have at least four dental technicians being Uganda’s national referral hospital, while other referral hospitals should have at least two.
“The mission for the institution is to produce competent health professionals for improved health services in the country,†he explained.
“We want to start producing at least 10 dental technicians every year from this school. We also want to produce more health professionals to work in health centres,†he said.
He said, a new library with Internet services and a three-storied hostel for about 600 male students had been built.
He said there were plans to transform the dental school block into teaching space, a skills laboratory with 12 training and demostration rooms and heads of department offices,†he said.
UGANDA has only five dental technicians, the youngest of whom is aged 65 years, the principal director, Mulago Paramedical School, Rwandembo Mugisha, said on Monday.
A dental technician is the person who manufactures materials that are used by dentists.
“As we talk today we have only five techinicians. We are operating in a crisis,†he said. He said it was unusual to find a dental technician without grey hair and warned that the country would soon run out of dental technicians if urgent measures were not taken to produce more.
Rwandembo was speaking during a press briefing he called at the paramedical school in Mulago to clarify the recent reports that the dental school was to be sold to an investor.
He said the allegations were baseless, ill-intentioned and geared towards inciting the public.
“The dental school is not up for sale to any investor. We are only remodeling the school into a modern academic centre,†he said.
“The Government has released sh3.5b for remodeling the school. Male and female students used to share the same hostels and this is no more,†he said.
Rwandembo said it was sad the developments at the institution had been misrepresented and undermined.
He said Mulago Hospital should have at least four dental technicians being Uganda’s national referral hospital, while other referral hospitals should have at least two.
“The mission for the institution is to produce competent health professionals for improved health services in the country,†he explained.
“We want to start producing at least 10 dental technicians every year from this school. We also want to produce more health professionals to work in health centres,†he said.
He said, a new library with Internet services and a three-storied hostel for about 600 male students had been built.
He said there were plans to transform the dental school block into teaching space, a skills laboratory with 12 training and demostration rooms and heads of department offices,†he said.