Higher Institute for Health Sciences: Reality and ambitions [Archives:2002/34/Health]

BY ISMAIL AL-GHABIRI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Established in 1971, the Higher Institute for Health Sciences in Sanaa is one of the most important technical institutes in the country. The institutions role is to qualify students to work in the health sector after completing an intensive two-year academic program. The curriculum includes many courses in teaching techniques, health services for associations and public schools, administration for health institute managers, etc. Among the main subjects of the institute are laboratories, social health, nursing administration, medical statistics, medical device maintenance, anesthesia and midwifery.
The institute has eight branches in Taiz, Hodeida, Dhamar, Ibb, Haja, Mahweet, Saada and Amran. Apart from that, it supervises many nursing schools which are part of public hospitals in the capital secretariat such as Athawra, Al Gumhori, and Assabaeen hospitals.
So far, the number of the graduates from the institute in Sanaa exceeds 200 graduates in various specializations as follows: 15 in B A labs, 29 in social health, 25 in nursing, 15 in medical statistics, 45 in maintenance, 49 in anesthesia, and 40 in midwifery.
However, there are also much more students studying in the institutes branches in the other cities, which resembles the potential for further expansion and growth.
Institutes difficulties & ambitions
In spite of all the success of the institute in enhancing health services in Yemen, it still faces many difficulties including shortage of financial support, training means, facilities and capacity to receive the huge number of applications every year.
Dr. Abdulwahab Ali Al Kholani, the Dean of the institute said, The institute contributes to the development of the society through qualifying Yemeni health cadres and providing various health services especially to the rural areas where people are deprived of the essential health services.
He said that there is a new policy in accepting new students based on the needs of their respective provinces. Furthermore, the branches are to be provided with new mechanisms and teaching methods for training diploma students as well as organizing special training programs during compulsory services.
Dr. Abdulwahab said that there is no successful work without difficulties. The main difficulties facing the institute are basically the lack of adequate opportunities for revitalize the teaching staff, the lack of financial allocations in comparison to the institute achievements, the shortage in modern training instruments such as computers and other equipment, and the lack of x-ray labs.
It worth mentioning that the Social Fund financed many health developmental projects within the framework of cooperation and coordination between the Social Fund and the high institute

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