3,900 nurses, midwives cleared to work in hospitals
State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysestom Muyingo (left) receives the 2023 final semester UNMEB examination results from chairperson John Wakida (centre) and Executive Secretary Helen Mukakarisa Kataratambi (right) at the Office of the President in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO/FRANK BAGUMA
What you need to know:
The nurses and midwives include 2,910 females, representing 68.4 percent, and 1345 males, representing 31.6 percent
A total of 3,958 out of 4,255 registered nurses and midwives who sat for the 2023 final exams have been cleared to start working in hospitals.
The nurses and midwives include 2,910 females, representing 68.4 percent, and 1345 males, representing 31.6 percent.
A total of 2,808 candidates (66.9 percent) were examined in certificate programmes, and another 1,447 (34 percent) in the diploma programmes.
The 2023 Uganda Nurses and Midwives Exams results were released in Kampala yesterday.
“I am happy to learn that 90.7 percent of the 4,255 candidates passed their final exams. This is a great achievement for the Education and Sports sector and the country at large,” Ms Janet Museveni noted in her speech read by Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, the Minister of State for Higher Education.
Ms Hellen Mukakarisa, the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examination Board (UNMEB) executive secretary, said 27 candidates under the certificate programmes did not turn up for the final examinations. She said a total of 231 certificate candidates were ungraded.
Ms Mukakarisa said 32 candidates under diploma programme were ungraded, representing 2.2 percent, while seven (7) diploma candidates did not turn up for the exams.
Last year, UNMEB registered a decline in the performance of candidates under certificate programmes, where a total of 2,550 candidates passed compared to 9,518 (92.0 percent) of the candidates who passed in 2022.
“The low performance of certificate level candidates was caused by the certificate in Nursing programme where students did not put emphasis on learning concepts or reproductive health, gynaecology and guidance that are related to midwifery practices,” Ms Mukakarisa said.
But she noted an increase in the performance of diploma candidates by 8.9 percent.
Ms Museveni said: “Various complaints regarding enrollment and admission of ineligible students in health training institutions have been brought to my attention. In response, the ministry has developed guidelines for admissions to ensure standardised, reliable and uniform methods of admission throughout the country.”
Mr Muyingo warned they would close all errant health training institutions that over-enrol and admit unqualified students.
