Nearly 200 ophthalmic clinic officers graduate in Jinja
State minister for higher education John Muyingo prepares to cut cake students with graduands at Jinja OCO on March 23, 2023. PHOTO/TAUSI NAKATO
What you need to know:
- Jinja OCO graduated 192 students during an event in which the institution's new campus was commissioned.
- On March 23, 2023, Jinja OCO also unveiled its new five-year strategic plan.
At least 192 students have been awarded Higher Diplomas and Diplomas in Clinical Ophthalmology at the Ophthalmic Clinic Officers’ Training School in Jinja City.
The 9th graduation of Jinaj OCO which was held on March 23 and presided over by the state minister for Education John Chrysostom Muyingo came at a time when the country faces a shortage of eye specialists.
Muyingo, who also commissioned a Shs1.5b complex, said the government is committed to offer quality human resource for health eye care for all Ugandans.
“Government has invested Shs1.5b to put up beautiful structures in Jinja and this was done to improve on the quality of training and save money that would have been spent on accommodating students- and also increase on the number of trainees so that people can have access to health services,’’ he said.
Muyingo, however, urged the school administrators to enroll a number of students that will be absorbed in the labour market.
He added: “Focus more on investing in technology and infrastructure to give our students international standards, attract the best students because we need health workers who will meet the needs of all Ugandans.”
Muyingo urged graduands to accept to work in rural areas where their services are needed most.
Dr Daniel Balina-Nseko, an Ophthalmologist, said every sub-district must have an Ophthalmic Clinical Officer (OCO), but this has not been possible because the resource envelope is small.
According to Dr Balina-Nseko, the shortage of OCOs was due to the training of medical Clinical and Nursing Officers at the post basic level until the training of direct entrants from Senior Six kicked off nine years ago.
Dr Balina-Nseko, who is also the former Deputy Director of Jinja Hospital, said blindness in Busoga Sub-region is on the rise, citing cataract and “pressure of the eye”.
These, he said, are causing blindness, especially in rural areas because they mostly affect the old people who are financially incapacitated.
State minister for higher education John Muyingo, HET Commissioner Dr Safinah Museene, Jinja OCO principal Sam Ajwika Nason, Principal TVET officer Dr Paul Kasigaire and UIAHMS principal Rose Nassali march during the graduation of Jinja OCO on March 23, 2023. PHOTO/TAUSI MAKATO
The ministry of education's Commissioner for Health Education and Training (HET) institutions Dr Safina Museene hinted on plans to expand the institution to offer other courses.
“Being the only institution that offers Ophthalmic training, we want to include other courses like Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery, audiology, anesthesiology and psychiatry courses,’’ she said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the joint graduation and commissioning of the new Jinja OCO campus, Principal TVET officer Dr Paul Kasigaire noted that the "event was a major milestone for Uganda's health system."
About the school
The institution was first established at Mulago National Referral Hospital in 1989 under the Ministry of Health, before being transferred to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in 2001.
However, the defunct Jinja Municipal Council later offered four acres of land in Danida-Masese Hill, Jinja City South Division to Jinja Nursing School for expansion and construction of the complex started in 2021.
The school was training qualified medical Clinical officers and Nursing officers at the post basic level but because of the increasing demand for eye health services in the country, the training of direct entrants from Senior six started in 2015.
