UCU Medical School to admit 70 in first intake

PIC: Church of Uganda Archbishop the Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali chats with children who had pledged contibutions for the UCU Medical school. This was at a UCU candlelight Christmas carols hosted by the UCU vice chancellor and the Archbishop at his residence in Namirembe, Kampala. (Credit: Norman Katende)

KAMPALA - The Uganda Christian University Medical School will have a first intake of 70 students as they set May 2017 as the target for the start of college.

With National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) finalising the desk review and all the document  submitted waiting for the actual review, the UCU vice chancellor Dr John Ssenyonyi was positive that  this will be done in time for them to start the intake of the pioneer 70 students as planned.

He defended the capacity saying that the 20 dental students and 50 medical doctors are what they will start with because of the capacity of the facilities and also the staff.

"We are having medical staff at the School of Public Health who is willing to teach and already some universities are supporting us and have promised to partner with us which is positive.

We also have some foreign students who have shown interest ever since the idea was mooted."

The Christmas carols were at the Archbishop's residence in Namirembe

The church has offered the institution different facilities both at Mengo Hospital and the provincial offices  to be able to start next year in May.

Ssenyonyi said this at the university candle light Christmas carols hosted by the university chancellor The Most. Rev Stanley Ntagali at his residence on Namirembe Hill in Kampala.

"We have been given facilities at both Mengo Hospital and also those that were housing the Inter Religious Council at the provincial offices and for the start, those are enough for the project to kick start.

"They will help boost us a lot though we are still looking for over sh4bn to ensure that the project successful starts," said Ssenyonyi.

 Archbishop Ntagali greets UCU vice chancellor Ssenyonyi at the function

Archbishop Stanley Ntagali said that the Church's getting back Mengo Hospital last year boosted the idea of the school, with the province giving the facilities that will ensure the school's taking off.

"We as the church also have many hospitals, clinics and dispensary and thus the medical students will have enough room to do their interns as we extend our services to the people of having a holistic renewal which is both physical and spiritual," said Ntagali.

The medical school plan was mooted three years ago by the Church that wanted to train more medical staff to help work in the different church facilities.

 A cake was cut by Archbishop Ntagali and others on a warm evening

 The Anglican Church leader then took a cake-filled plate around