The ongoing dispute between the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Public Health regarding the training of medical personnel has escalated, following the intervention of the Council of Medico-Sanitary Professions, which has called for an end to the HND/BTS programs in medical training.
As part of efforts to resolve the issue, a meeting between the ministers of both departments has been announced. According to a letter obtained by MMI, the Higher Education Minister, Jacques Fame Ndongo, revealed that the meeting is scheduled for Friday, August 16, in the conference room of the Ministry of Higher Education.
“I have the honor to invite you to the meeting that I will co-chair with the Minister of Public Health, on the training of medical and health technicians by certain higher education institutions,” stated Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo in the letter addressed to stakeholders in Cameroon’s higher education sector.
The disagreement between the two ministries has been ongoing for years, with neither side reaching a compromise. The contention centers around the SRN programs offered by the Ministry of Public Health and the HND programs overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education. Both programs have been met with skepticism by the opposing ministry, leaving future graduates uncertain about their professional prospects both domestically and abroad.
Previous discussions between the ministries have failed to produce a concrete resolution. However, there is hope that Friday’s meeting will finally bring about the much-needed harmonization of the training programs.
Meanwhile, the Association of North West Higher Education Institutions (ANOWEPHEI) has also announced a meeting to discuss the recent statement from the Council of Medico-Sanitary Professions, which criticized the HND/BTS programs as undermining the credibility of training programs authorized by the Ministry of Higher Education.
