Mulago Hospital (Grant)

HC Deb 11 October 1944 vol 403 c17431743

§36. Colonel Lyons 

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the serious overcrowding of patients at the Mulago Hospital in Uganda; and what steps are proposed by way of immediate remedy.

§Colonel Stanley 

Yes, Sir. A free grant of £477,500 has been made under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act for the construction of a new hospital of 1,100 beds. The Governor proposes to increase the present accommodation to 700 beds in temporary buildings while the new hospital is under construction.

§Colonel Lyons 

May I ask my right hon. and gallant Friend whether he has given instructions for this matter to be pressed on with all possible speed?

§Colonel Stanley 

I do not need to give instructions. The Governor himself is perfectly aware of the necessity for expedition.

Hospitals and Dispensaries, Uganda

HC Deb 26 November 1947 vol 444 cc1966-71966

§12. Mr. Rankin 

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much of Uganda's allocation of the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund is it proposed to spend on hospital buildings; and whether he is satisfied that the sum could not be better spent in establishing dispensaries in outlying districts.

Mr. Creech Jones 

In the Uganda Development Plan £1½ million is earmarked for medical and health services. It is essential to the training of African medical officers and to the efficiency of the dispensary system that a fully equipped central hospital should be established. Accordingly a grant of £477,500 has been approved from Uganda's territorial Colonial Development and Welfare allocation for the building of a new central teaching hospital at Mulago, Kampala. £100,000 is also provided for new hospital buildings, dispensaries and health centres.

§Mr. Rankin 

The emphasis in the Question is on buildings. Would my right hon. 1967Friend say if he realises that there is a feeling that these are show pieces and are absorbing money which might go more usefully to, say, dispensaries?

Mr. Creech Jones 

I am fully alive to the dangers of a policy which places money on curative medicine, but obviously we must have a teaching hospital in East Africa if we are to train African doctors. At the same time, in the 10-year programme great emphasis is placed on preventive medicines and dispensaries and that kind of medical work.

§Mr. Oliver Stanley 

Do the facts which the right hon. Gentleman has stated come to this, that nearly one third of the total expenditure on medical services is to take the form of one building, a central hospital at Kampala?

Mr. Creech Jones 

Yes, Sir. It is the extension of the university proposals in East Africa. There must be a basic teaching hospital, and £477,000 has been allocated for that purpose.

§Mr. Stanley 

Will other East African Governments contribute, as this is part of the university proposals?

Mr. Creech Jones 

Yes, Sir.

§Mr. Somerville Hastings 

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise how useful temporary buildings are for hospital wards and how long they last—up to 50 years?

Mr. Creech Jones 

I have complete sympathy with the view that too much money should not be spent on buildings.

Makerere College (Medical Degrees)

HC Deb 08 December 1954 vol 535 cc955-6955

§42. Mr. Rankin 

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will press for the recognition of medical degrees given by the Makerere College, as a qualification to practise medicine in the United Kingdom and the Colonies.

§Mr. Hopkinson 

It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to encourage the raising of the standard of medical qualifications accorded by the university 956colleges in the Colonies to a level at which they can be recognised by the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom and by Colonial Governments generally.

Representatives of the Council have already visited Makerere on more than one occasion for the purpose of reporting to the Council on the standards achieved at the Mulago medical school, and a further such visit can be expected to be made at an appropriate time.

§Mr. Speaker 

Mr. Stewart.

§Mr. Rankin rose—

§Mr. Speaker 

I did not observe the hon. Member rise before, and I have already called Mr. Stewart.

§Mr. Rankin 

On a point of order. Surely I was on my feet immediately the Minister sat down?

§Mr. Speaker 

We may differ about a moment of time, but I looked at the hon. Gentleman and I did not know whether he was going to rise or not. If any hon. Gentleman wishes to ask a supplementary question, it is only fair to other hon. Members that he should rise immediately.

§Mr. M. Stewart 

Further to that point of order. May I respectfully say, Mr. Speaker, that it was apparent to me that my hon. Friend wished to rise, which was the reason I hesitated in rising.

§Mr. Speaker 

I did not observe that, but, as I do not want to be unfair to the hon. Member, perhaps he will ask his supplementary question now.

§Mr. Rankin 

Is the Minister aware that he has not answered the Question which I placed on the Order Paper? My Question asked him whether he will press for the recognition of medical degrees given by the Makerere College as a qualification to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. He has not answered that Question.

§Mr. Hopkinson 

I thought I made it quite clear that the General Medical Council is the body which grants recognition of medical qualifications, and that this is entirely a matter for the discretion of the Council itself.

Medical Department

HC Deb 02 March 1959 vol 601 cc17-8W17W

§Mr. Stonehouse 

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what efforts are being made to improve the staffing of the Medical Department in Uganda, in view of the present inadequacy of the facilities.

§Mr. J. Amery 

The Uganda Medical Department has steadily expanded since 1945 though the rate of expansion naturally depends on the availability of qualified staff as well as finance. Recruitment of doctors and nurses from this country is satisfactory and the recent educational expansion in Uganda has, for the first time, produced a surplus of applicants for local nursing training. One hundred and seventy-six trainee nurses and 30 potential medical assistants have been selected to study in local centres.

18W

Facilities for improving the quality of the Medical Department staff continue to expand. At Makerere College, where doctors are trained, six Registrars have been appointed for post-graduate studies. Scholarships are also awarded for study in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In this year alone £164,000 is being spent on new medical training centres and the construction of the new Mulago teaching hospital which will cost £2,300,000 has begun.