Dr. Ahmad Kawesa Sengendo outlines vision for Habib Medical School at Islamic University in Uganda

While addressing the 223rd Executive Board meeting at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Main campus, the Rector Dr. Ahmad Kawesa Sengendo, highlighted the key areas upon which the future of the Habib Medical School will be anchored.

Habib Medical School opened its doors to its pioneer students on 25 October 2014. Lectures started on Monday 27 October 2014 with 35 students out of the 120 admitted.

Dr. Ahmad Kawesa Sengendo said the School will have 7 departments: Anatomy, Pathology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Micro biology and the Department of Community Medicine.

Currently, four of the above departments are operational. These are: Anatomy, Physiology, Bio-chemistry and Community Medicine. The three of these four courses are the ones needed in the first year.

The Rector stressed the importance of having the department of Community medicine started in the first year as opposed to having it in the third year, arguing that it will make Habib Medical School a unique one in the region.

Under community medicine, students are attached to families within the community. They study their health conditions and make reports to their supervisors and referrals to the nearby health facilities, always with the help of their supervisors.

“Community Medicine is not required in the first two years but we will have it. We believe this is what will make our school different from others. We need to utilize the human capital we have assembled for the Habib Medical School other than just leaving them to concentrate only on teaching,” the Rector said.

He added that through the department of Dawah, Outreach and Community Liaison, the school will be sending out medical caravans to the hard –to- reach areas to help out people with unique health conditions.

In the second year, other departments will come on board and in the third and fourth years, students will go for field attachments as required by the traditional medical curriculum.

The school has signed memoranda of understanding with Gezira and Al-Neelain Universities in Sudan in which the two parties agreed to exchange expertise on how to run the Community Medicine department.

According to the Vice Rector Academic Affairs, Dr. Mouhammad Mpezamihigo, the universities have offered to send experts in the medical field as well as receiving IUIU seconded staff to go and study the programmes in the respective universities.