Background Information to MHPC

Medicare Health Professionals College (MHPC) Limited was registered by the Registrar of Companies under No 52924.in 2002

In Uganda, health workers are trained by both the public and private sectors. The private sector includes Private Not For Profit (PNFT) and “Private For Profit” (PFP) health training institutions. 

MHPC was established as a PFP to contribute to health training in Uganda, and is the proprietor of MACHSU school of Clinical Officers that was registered by Ministry of Education and Sports (MoE&s) under No PSS/M/164 in 2003 and also accredited by the Allied Health Professionals Council of Ministry of health. 

Problem statement

There are few trained and qualified health workers in Uganda. About 50% of all the health workers in-service do not have college qualifications. Most of them are either auxiliaries’ or trained on job. 

The shortage of trained and qualified health workers in Uganda is because of inadequate training facilities. There’s only one public paramedical school at Mulago hospital, three public and three private schools of Clinical officers, sixty public and private nursing/ midwifery schools, and one public and five private schools in laboratory techniques and technology. In addition to being few, the health training schools are limited in admission capacity. 

The main cause of inadequate training facilities was government policy that health workers could only be trained by Ministry of Health. This has however changed. The overall government policy is that of liberalization and privatization in Education. The MoE&S policy is that of training for the open market while that of MoH is training multipurpose health workers for primary health care (PHC) 

Justification for MHPC

Education and Health sectors are among the selected government priority sectors. The main strategy for Education services is Technical and Vocational Education under which health training lies. The Human Resource Development plans by MoH are based on training mid-level health workers.

Government strategy in health services delivery is PHC while emphasizing decentralization. Decentralization has included development and establishment of health infrastructure that brings extra demand for mid-level health workers. 

 The growth of the private sector (health facilities, schools, factories, industries, e.t.c.) will also require growth in training health workers. 

Uganda has a population of about 30 million people. The annual population growth rate is about 3.3% meaning that the population will double every about 20 years. In addition, the health situation in Uganda is poor based on international standards. However, these are not followed by adequate training of health workers. In order to satisfy population growth and improve health situation, training of health workers must also proportionately expand. 

Uganda has previously emphasized training medical doctors and specialists. This training is not only expensive, but also trains mainly for the private market and foreign greener countries. Uganda needs to train the cheaper, easily sustainable, easily retainable and the most needed mid-level health workers. Currently, this is also the global view to solve the problem of brain drain in developing countries. 

Uganda has recently introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal secondary Education (USE). However, there has not been expansion in public tertiary training institutions to absorb the extra school leavers. 

Experience in Uganda, and elsewhere, shows that private training tends to be of high quality in order to survive. This is especially so in health training, and appropriate for the population that will receive better quality health services. 

MHPC will supplement all other efforts in training and providing well qualified and needed mid-level health workers, provide an alternative outlet for school leavers, and significantly contribute to improvement in health situation in Uganda. 

Vision

To have a well-established and self-sustaining health training institution, create knowledge in health, and improve Health Services delivery for better health in Uganda.

Mission

To train and provide high quality mid level multidisciplinary health workers

Objectives

  1. To provide teaching and learning infrastructure.
  2. To sustain an adequate and well skilled teaching resource.
  3. To conduct basic and applied scientific research.
  4. To collaborate with relevant stakeholders in health training and service delivery.

Our Values

At Medicare Health Professionals College, we are commited to quality health training. We recognize that the loyalty, teamwork, cooperation, responsibility, open communication, trust, professional ethics, competency and time management of our staff are the key factors in all aspects of performance. We promote discipline, respect, time management, professional ethics, dedication, competence and responsibility among our students for provision of high quality health workers. We are socially accountable to the societies we collabotate with everywhere. In discharging our resposibilities, we have zero tolerance to professional or ethical shortcuts.

Scope of MHPC

Courses 

Currently, MHPC conducts training in Clinical Medicine and community health at diploma level, and laboratory Techniques and Community Health and Primary Health Care at Certificate level. Others include Clinical and Community Dental Health, Dental Chairside Assisting, Health Services Management, Counselling, Public Health disciplines at both the Diploma and Certificate levels. 

Students 

Students will include Ugandans and non-Ugandans. For Ugandans, certificate courses will require at least six credit passes at O-level, and diploma courses will require at least two principal passes in relevant subjects. For foreigners, the requirements will be those accepted in their respective countries and interpreted by UNEB in Uganda.

Old Students