The countrys health sector is likely to wait much longer for the services of 370 would-be medical graduates when the University of Rwanda holds its graduation next week on Friday. This follows a recommendation by the Higher Education Council (HEC) that their graduation be postponed after it was established that the students could have missed some courses. HEC is the regulator of higher learning education in the country. The decision affects two cohorts; those who studied under the old system and therefore studied six years and those under the new system that revised the medical course to five years. The affected students who studied under the old system are 174 while the new system has 196 students who are affected. Speaking to The New Times, one of the affected students who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, said the College administration was informed about a week ago by HEC that there were some course units that were missed out by the students in both cohorts. “There was an audit made by HEC which reported that some lessons have not been taught. Then the school management was advised to design a catch-up programme so that these units are covered before we could be allowed to graduate. The students, however, insist all those units were covered. We even have the results. Imagine getting to know just within a week of graduation that you would miss graduation. We thought we were graduating. We had even invited our friends and family, the student said. On Thursday, October 31st, Christophe Ngendahayo, one of the affected students, on his Twitter handle told the Minister of Health that the students from the School of Medicine are saddened to have been removed from the list of this year’s graduands. Dr. Diane Gashumba, the Minister of Health replied, on her Twitter, that there was to be a meeting with those in charge to solve the problem. In a subsequent tweet, the Ministry of Education replied that they will make sure that the final decision will be in favour of having professional doctors. Dr. Charles Muhizi, the Undergraduate Coordinator for the School of Medicine and Pharmacy told The New Times that it is not yet over. “We are still negotiating with HEC and the final decision has not yet been made. The decision was made by HEC because of reasons we don’t know, but the University does not see why these students cannot graduate”. Both Benjamin Muhizi Kageruka, the acting Executive Director of HEC, and Dr Jean Claude Byiringiro, the Dean of the School of Medicine told The New Times that a meeting scheduled Friday evening between all parties involved would inform a way forward.
