By Baraka John
More than 200 third-year students from the Yambio Science Health Institute have begun their national qualifying examinations, marking a significant step in their path to becoming certified health professionals.
The exams, which started on Monday, June 9, are being taken by diploma candidates specializing in nursing, midwifery, and clinical medicine. According to the institute’s acting principal, Stephen Sinorekia Simon, a total of 120 students are participating in this year’s session. Among them, 30 are retaking supplementary exams after failing specific subjects in the previous year.
Simon noted that the current group of candidates includes students who enrolled in both 2021 and 2022. Those who joined in 2021 were affected by a program restructuring that limited their course load and have since been retained to complete the requirements. He further explained that nurses and midwives are required to sit for four papers, while clinical medicine students are required to complete six.
“They are still left with many course units that they needed to finish. For example, in October 2024, they had about 11 course units uncovered, so they could not make them sit, then we say we need to extend so that we can double the effort to teach them the remaining course units. That is why they have gone to fourth year”
The Yambio Science Health Institute offers three-year diploma programs in midwifery, clinical laboratory sciences, and nursing, designed to strengthen the healthcare workforce in Western Equatoria State and beyond.
At the launch of the examination week, the Western Equatoria State Minister of Health, Hon. James Abdalla Marona, encouraged students to take their exams seriously and stay focused on achieving their goals.
.“I want to hear that there is a good number who succeed in passing this paper, so that you can go, we deploy you and you go to work in any other facilities in Western Equatoria state or other states”
Also in attendance at the event was the Acting State Governor and Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement, Hon. Bakoyogo Morris Severino. He advised the candidates to avoid any form of examination malpractice, encouraging them to depend on their knowledge and uphold ethical standards throughout the process.
“I know you have acquired the knowledge, you are prepared, and you will pass the examination. We discourage cheating, because what you are doing, you are going to deal with lives. You cannot cheat on human beings. You need to have the right knowledge so that you treat people accordingly. If you are cheating in the class, how will you administer the medicine that you want to administer to the patient, because any mistake, somebody dies? That is why in a health institute, with don’t want any forgery. We need pure men and women who will do the job right.”
The national qualifying examinations will take place over five days, concluding on Friday. Candidates who pass will be eligible for deployment to healthcare facilities, supporting ongoing efforts to enhance health services and accessibility throughout the region.