190 Students Graduate from Defence Forces Institute of Health Sciences

A total of 190 students have graduated with diplomas in nursing and midwifery after completing a two-and-a-half-year training at the Defence Forces Institute of Health Sciences in Gaddafi Barracks, Jinja.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Joint Staff Formal Education, Sports and Culture in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, Brigadier General Richard Karemire, described the achievement as a major milestone in the force’s journey towards professionalism and improved health service delivery.

“What you see here today is a deliberate move by the strategic leadership to develop cadres that will strengthen the health department in the UPDF and Uganda at large,” said Brig Gen Karemire.

He urged the graduates to serve their country with patriotism, dedication and pride, while challenging them to pursue further studies and continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills to remain relevant in an increasingly dynamic global environment.

He praised President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF, for his visionary leadership, and lauded Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the wider UPDF leadership for their steadfast support towards the advancement of formal education within the force.

On behalf of the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Commissioner for Health Education and Training, Dr Kisu Musene Safina, said the graduation reflected the institute’s growing contribution to strengthening Uganda’s health profession.

She described the nursing profession as a calling and said the combination of military discipline and healthcare service was especially valuable.

“Soldiers are revolutionary cadres, and nursing is a calling. Having a soldier who is also a nurse is excellent.”

The Principal of the Defence Forces Institute of Health Sciences, Lt Apollo Muhumuza, described the ceremony as a historic milestone for the institution, noting that it marked the first graduation of its kind.

“This is a landmark in the realisation of a lasting legacy because it is the first graduation of its kind,” Lt Muhumuza said.

He said the institute was established in 2007 as an allied health training school for company medics before it was elevated and accredited by the Ministry of Education and Sports in 2021 to offer training in nursing and midwifery.

He further revealed that the institute had also been accredited to offer diploma courses, adding that its mission of guaranteeing quality education and professional competence had been fulfilled.

Among those who attended the function were Brig Gen Emmanuel Kanyesigye, the Jinja Cantonment Commander and a member of the institute’s Governing Council; Brig Gen Chris Ogwal, Commandant of the Junior Staff College; Col Chris Kyanku, Commandant of COLE; Col Mathias Abigaba, Commander of the Defence General Depot, among others.