College of Medicine and Health Science
Jigjiga University’s Medicine and Health Science College was launched as the Faculty of Health science in 2008 having two departments namely; Nursing and Public Health Officer with only ten academic staffs.
Three years later the faculty added Midwifery Department and stepped up to College level in the same academic year. After four years, the college opened Medicine School and was renamed College of Medicine and Health Science since September 2014.
In 2015, the College also launched Neonatal Nursing Department under Nursing Department. It has also owned one referral hospital, Jigjiga University Meles Zenawi Memorial Referral Hospital in 2016.
The College conducted Program audit this year based on HERQA standard and as a result it provided different capacity building trainings like ETS, tutorial calsses for females and students who came from emerging regions, and organized physical facilities (Laboratories, Hospital, Smart class rooms, equiped skill labs).
One of the bigggest acheivments of the College this academic year interms of physcical facility is making the Referral Hospital functional. The Referral Hospital plans to set standards of excellence in hospital treatments and personalized services.
In addition, three new laboratories namely, Histology lab (under establishment), Biochemistry lab and Physiology lab were installed with basic equipments. The College currently has 7 laboratories (Anatomy lab, Physiology lab, Micro Biology Lab, Nursing and Midwifery skill lab, one E-library and Histology Lab).
With regard to research and community services, the College strived a lot to provide evidence based health services for pastoral and agro- pastoral community by conducting different problem solving health research granted by the University, International and local NGO’s as well as government organizations like the Regional Health Bureau (ESRHB).
For instance, currently, a research on Know Your Epidemics Know your Response (KYE-KYR) is being undertaken in collaboration with the Region’s HAPCO and ESRHB. 3 Mega projects granted by JJU are also ongoing. The findings of TT post campaign coverage survey, maternity waiting home, WASH and ICCM are also successfully conducted and disseminated in collaboration with RHB and UNICEF.
This year, 30 students from the Region have been admitted to attend their career in Medicine and other 15 diploma holders are attending their degree program in Neonatal Nursing.
The College also provided comprehensive health services by deploying 72 health professionals for 3 months duration to selected IDPs of highly drought affected zones of the Region namely, Jarar, Qorahay and Dollo to intervene drought related health problems including treatment of malnutrition, vaccine preventable disease and water borne outbreaks like AWD.