Foreign medical graduates under review
The Health Professions Councils of Namibia (HPCN) has refused to register six Namibian pharmacy graduates from an Indian university after discovering that there were three modules missing from their transcripts.
The graduates were among a group of more than 70 people sent to study medicine in Zambia and India in 2014. They graduated last year.
According to health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe, these graduates have now enrolled with the University of Namibia (Unam) medical school to complete the missing modules in order to satisfy the council's requirements.
They are expected to complete their studies by June.
The graduates were expected to be deployed at medical facilities upon completion of their studies, but only a few have been placed so far.
According to Nangombe, only seven of 11 radiography graduates have signed up with the ministry and started working at the beginning of this month.
“As for now, 12 pharmacy graduates from Lusaka Apex Medical University are currently in the process of registration with the HPCN and the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA),” he said.
“Six pharmacy graduates from the JSS University in India could not register with the HPCN due to three modules that are lacking.
“There are also seven environmental health science graduates who are busy with the registration process with the HPCN and NQA, together with seven physiotherapy graduates.”
The HPCN registrar, Cornelius Weyulu, denied claims that the councils was refusing to accept medical qualifications from certain schools.
“The medical and dental council has not refused to accept medical qualifications from Lusaka Apex Medical University and Cavendish University and the applications from such graduates are being handled like those of others who graduated from institutions outside Namibia.
“The pharmacy council is busy assessing the applications received from the pharmacy graduates and none of them were informed that his or her application was refused. Feedback will be given to them once the assessment is completed,” said Weyulu.
“If there is a graduate saying that his or her application for registration was refused, they must provide letters from the council communicating such refusal and if it exists, the reason for such refusal would have been indicated explicitly.”
Nangombe added that currently there are 52 students doing bachelor of medicine/surgery and clinical science degrees outside Namibia under the same programme.
ILENI NANDJATO
The graduates were among a group of more than 70 people sent to study medicine in Zambia and India in 2014. They graduated last year.
According to health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe, these graduates have now enrolled with the University of Namibia (Unam) medical school to complete the missing modules in order to satisfy the council's requirements.
They are expected to complete their studies by June.
The graduates were expected to be deployed at medical facilities upon completion of their studies, but only a few have been placed so far.
According to Nangombe, only seven of 11 radiography graduates have signed up with the ministry and started working at the beginning of this month.
“As for now, 12 pharmacy graduates from Lusaka Apex Medical University are currently in the process of registration with the HPCN and the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA),” he said.
“Six pharmacy graduates from the JSS University in India could not register with the HPCN due to three modules that are lacking.
“There are also seven environmental health science graduates who are busy with the registration process with the HPCN and NQA, together with seven physiotherapy graduates.”
The HPCN registrar, Cornelius Weyulu, denied claims that the councils was refusing to accept medical qualifications from certain schools.
“The medical and dental council has not refused to accept medical qualifications from Lusaka Apex Medical University and Cavendish University and the applications from such graduates are being handled like those of others who graduated from institutions outside Namibia.
“The pharmacy council is busy assessing the applications received from the pharmacy graduates and none of them were informed that his or her application was refused. Feedback will be given to them once the assessment is completed,” said Weyulu.
“If there is a graduate saying that his or her application for registration was refused, they must provide letters from the council communicating such refusal and if it exists, the reason for such refusal would have been indicated explicitly.”
Nangombe added that currently there are 52 students doing bachelor of medicine/surgery and clinical science degrees outside Namibia under the same programme.
ILENI NANDJATO
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