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UG to know int’l accreditation fate by July 2017
Plans for a new Health Sciences Faculty, improved clinical and lecture facilities and other
Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Emanuel Cummings
amenities for medical students are among the factors that have been taken into consideration as the University of Guyana (UG’)s School of Medicine seeks to regain international accreditation.
This is according to Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Emanuel Cummings, who, during a recent interview with this publication noted, “We did our best and we are awaiting a response.”
Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP), which is based in Jamaica, is the accreditation body that withdrew the School of Medicine’s provisional licence last year July.
CAAM-HP is the legally constituted body established in 2003 under the aegis of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), empowered to determine and prescribe standards and to accredit programmes of medical, dental, veterinary and other health professions on behalf of the contracting parties in CARICOM.
According to CAAM-HP, the decision to revoke UG’s accreditation was taken because there were no progress reports forthcoming from the tertiary institution for the years 2014 and 2015. But the university was not in a position to submit these reports since a number of measures had to first be put in place. Several of these related to infrastructure, educational resources, faculty and the curriculum itself, among others.
But according to Dr. Cummings, the majority of the necessary requirements are currently in place. He, however, noted that “we don’t know what will be the outcome.”
The outcome is likely to be known by next July when CAAM-HP is expected to convene a meeting to discuss the progress of measures implemented by UG. As part of its site visit to assess the measures implemented, officials of the body also visited the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) between November 20 and November 23 last. The GPHC is a venue where medical students are exposed to clinical practice.
One of the concerns of CAAM-HP that also led to the withdrawal of international accreditation was the fact that there was no standing Memorandum of Understanding between the University, the GPHC and the Ministry of Public Health making these clinical practice sessions formal.
But according to Dr. Cummings, not only has the MOU been signed but a Committee is in place to deal with any issue raised by students regarding their medical training experience.
Dr. Cummings disclosed, too, that moves have also been made to introduce new teaching measures whereby an adjunct faculty has been put in place.
This means, Dr. Cummings said, that staff will be given a contract that specifies allotted time for clinical work and teaching allowing for a more structured and organised concept.
The University has been gaining immense support to get things on track, Dr. Cummings said. He pointed to financial support from businessman Yesu Persaud as well as Government to move measures apace. The University Administration has also been giving keen attention to the process to help put measures in place that could lead to certain re-accreditation.
Regaining the accreditation is something that Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, has identified as a top priority.
Dr. Cummings disclosed that currently the University is in discussion with the World Bank for a grant to construct a new Health Sciences Faculty complete with all necessary CAAM-HP amenities.
“We are currently negotiating…we are at the level where we have received the design brief from the World Bank that will be fully funded, constructed and furnished, complete with laboratories,” said Dr. Cummings.
Dr. Cummings who has been Dean of the Health Sciences Faculty for more than 10 years had given up the position of Dean at the time of the accreditation withdrawal. He reportedly accepted a request to return as Dean to help put measures in place to regain international accreditation.
According to Dr. Cummings the School of Medicine has over the years been producing quality individuals who have gone on to advance their skills and are currently excelling in their respective areas of medicine.
Among those who have been identified are Dr. Mahendra Carpen, Resident Cardiologist at GPHC; Dr. Zulfikar Bux, Emergency Medicine Specialist at GPHC and Dr. Kishore Persaud, Kidney Transplant Surgeon at the GPHC.
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