Varsity building 800-bed capacity teaching hospital

THE Kampala International University (KIU) has said it is putting up a state-of-the-art teaching hospital with the capacity to admit more than 800 patients at once.

KIU VICE CHANCELLOR PROF JAMIDU KATIMA.

KIU Vice Chancellor Prof Jamidu Katima said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the facility is one among major investments aimed at improving the institution’s performance and standing among higher learning institutions I the country.

“This will help our students taking medical courses to have a place for practical within the vicinity,” he said.

Apart from being used a teaching facility upon completion, the hospital will also serve as medical centre for the campus and the neighbouring communities and Dar es Salaam as whole, the academic noted.

As for the challenge of halls of residence which is facing many high learning institutions in the country, Prof Katima said the institution is building a 3,000-capacity hostel for its students.

He noted however that the hall cannot solve the problem for the entire university population in the institution, meaning many students will still have to rent outside the campus.

“We inspect and register all out-campus houses where our students stay for safety and security purposes,” the VC said.

He added that the Gongolamboto-based institution has already provided land for the construction of a police station—which has been approved by the Dar es Salaam regional police commander—to strengthen security in the area.

As for the compliance issues that saw the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) bar it from admitting students last year, Prof Katima said the institution has ironed out the issues and is now ready resume operations in the next academic year.

“We have removed all staff who had qualification issues, resoled work permits for foreign workers and employed more than 80 new academic staff,” he said.

KIU was among seven institutions  barred  from admitting new students by TCU in November last year I a crackdown that saw the regulator also revoked the accreditation for two universities and order five to stop their curriculum activities