Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 17, 2017 News
–preparation apace to accredit School of Dentistry
It was just a few months ago that the University of Guyana [UG] regained international accreditation for its School of Medicine. However, intense efforts are in motion to have even more programmes accredited in the Faculty of
Health Sciences.
Topping the list for accreditation in the near future is the Faculty’s Dentistry programme which has never before been accredited. This development was recently confirmed by Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Emanuel Cummings.
Dr. Cummings said, “We have started our discussions for the accreditation of the Dentistry School…We recently launched the task force responsible for the preparation for accreditation of the Bachelors of Dental Surgery…”
Like the School of Medicine, accreditation for the School of Dentistry will also have to be undertaken by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions [CAAM-HP].
According to Dr. Cummings, CAAM-HP is not only responsible for accrediting Medicine programmes but it is also responsible for accrediting all other health care professional programmes throughout Caricom.
The Jamaica-based institution is the legally constituted body established in 2003 under the aegis of Caricom. It is moreover empowered to determine and prescribe standards and to accredit programmes of medical, dental, veterinary and other health professions education on behalf of the contracting parties in Caricom.
Currently, Dr. Cummings disclosed, CAAM-HP has been catering to three programmes: Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry. According to the Health Sciences Dean, “Since we don’t have a Vet School, now that our Medical School has been accredited we are now starting preparation to have our School of Dentistry accredited too.”
“We are quite optimistic because there are some benefits of the recent preparation for the Medical School accreditation that will spill over into the preparation for the accreditation for the Dental School,” said Dr. Cummings.
He said that preparations in this regard are also forthcoming from the Ministry of Public Health, the UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, and the entire University’s administration. “They are all very much behind us in this regard,” Dr. Cummings amplified.
At present the university is undertaking a self-study as part of its preparation for the accreditation of its School of Dentistry. The self-study, Dr. Cummings anticipates, will be completed before the end of this year.
Even as he commented on plans to have other programmes in the Health Sciences Faculty accredited, Dr. Cummings said, “At a meeting I attended in March, we asked about the Nursing School because the nursing programme should be the next in line for accreditation.”
But accrediting the nursing programme, according to the Dean, will more than likely require more than simply putting measures in place at UG. He explained that since the nursing programme does not fall entirely under the university, “we will have to assume control of it.”
Currently, the Bachelors in Nursing programme offered at UG is in fact, the final stage of a programme administered by the Ministry of Public Health and the privately operated St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
“After completing the Diploma aspect of that programme, candidates would come over to UG for two years to get their Bachelor’s Degree.”
But according to Dr. Cummings, “For us to even consider having the nursing programme accredited, UG will have to run the entire programme from the very first year…We will have to have complete control of the programme.”
Another programme that UG will support the Public Health Ministry to offer is a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health Nursing. The programme is one that was recently approved by the University’s Academic Board and will be shortly rolled out, according to Dr. Cummings. “This programme is intended to train individuals who will help to address the issues related to maternal and child health.”
Another programme recently approved by the University is that of a Master’s of Medicine in Radiology. This programme, according to Dr. Cummings, will be administered in collaboration with the GPHC.
“Not only that it will strengthen the imaging service in certain selected hospitals across the country, the radiology services will be enhanced and that in itself is a big plus for us. Once we improve radiological services it will reduce the number of surgeries that will be done because a lot of the cases you can diagnose early and you can have earlier intervention,” said Dr. Cummings.
As part of its efforts to increase the number of accredited programmes, the University will also be eyeing the accreditation of its Pharmacy and Optometry programmes. But accreditation for these, according to Dr. Cummings, will not materialise in the very near future since, “standards will have to be developed. The professionals of these specialities will need to work closely with CAAM-HP to help to develop the necessary standards.”
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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