Students planning to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Masaka Comprehensive School of Nursing and Midwifery will have to wait longer after the school revealed it has yet to secure government approval.
Speaking at the institution’s 8th graduation ceremony on Friday, Principal Harriet Nanyondo said the school applied for approval nearly four years ago, but the process is still pending.
‘In order to ensure professional development and continued learning, we envisioned starting a bachelor of nursing science completion programme. Our request for approval has been on the table of the Ministry of Education and Sports since November last year, under the affiliation programme of Mbarara University of Science and Technology,’ Nanyondo said.
She attributed the delay to challenges including low enrollment and debts that once amounted to over Shs500 million.
‘Good enough, we have since addressed these challenges and now feel like we are fit to get the approval from the Ministry,’ she added.
A total of 430 students graduated in various disciplines. Among them, 155 received diplomas in comprehensive nursing, 90 in midwifery, and 185 in general nursing.
One of the graduands, Ms Noeline Nabuma, emphasized the importance of the degree programme for the region.
‘A big number of nurses in the region have attained diplomas, but for one to study a degree programme, he/she has to travel to either Mbarara, Jinja, or Kampala,’ she said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Kedrace Turyagenda, represented by Commissioner of Basic Education Doreen Ankunda, called on nurses and midwives to prioritize patient care over financial gain.
‘It’s good that the management has addressed some issues, enrollment has grown, and the institution’s financial capacity has improved. I will deliver the school’s request to approve its degree programme, and I hope the ministry will reassess the school again to see its capacity to run the programme,’ Ankunda said.
Masaka Comprehensive School of Nursing, founded in 1946 and located in Katwe-Butego near Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, has a long history of training nurses.
It initially offered certificates in nursing but later expanded to diploma programmes in comprehensive nursing, midwifery, and general nursing.