Prime Minister (PM) Joseph Dion Ngute has lifted the ban on admissions into Health and Biomedical Sciences programs at the Higher National Diploma (HND) level. Both private and public higher education institutions can now resume enrolling students for these courses. The decision follows weeks of uncertainty triggered by a controversial suspension jointly announced by the Ministries of Higher Education and Public Health.
Reversal Follows High-Level Meeting
The Prime Minister’s directive came after a joint inter-ministerial meeting held on November 28, 2024. During the session, chaired by Dion Ngute, officials reviewed the August 16 communique that had suspended HND admissions and placed paramedical training solely under the Ministry of Public Health. The review concluded that the earlier decision was problematic in implementation, prompting new directives.
New Directives Clarify Admission Rules
Under the revised policy, institutions may now recruit students at Level 1 for the 2024/2025 academic year based on guidelines issued by the Ministry of Public Health. Training for Levels 2 and 3 will continue under programs managed by the Ministry of Higher Education.
Additionally, an aptitude test will be conducted at the end of training, ensuring that the Ministry of Public Health remains involved in granting health care authorizations to private higher education institutions.
Hopes Rekindled for Students
This decision has revived the aspirations of students who had abandoned their ambitions to study nursing, midwifery, medical laboratory sciences, and other related fields. One student shared their relief:
“I had lost hope of pursuing my dream, but this decision changes everything.”
While many promoters of private institutions welcomed the move, others voiced concerns about lingering uncertainties. “It’s a step in the right direction, but we still have unanswered questions,” one school administrator remarked.
The earlier ban, imposed just before the academic year began, had caused significant disruptions, leaving many institutions in limbo. Some private higher education centers struggled to adapt, and the delay in reversing the policy has impacted the 2024/2025 academic calendar.
Institutions Resume Admissions
In the wake of the PM’s directive, some institutions have already announced the resumption of admissions into Health and Biomedical Sciences programs. While the decision comes eight weeks into the academic year, it offers a much-needed resolution to a policy that had caused confusion and uncertainty across the education sector.
The government’s latest move seeks to balance oversight and accessibility, but stakeholders are watching closely to ensure smooth implementation in the months ahead.
