Medical and Dental Practitioners Act

Provides definitions of terms used in the Act (interpretation of defined words).

Establishes the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council as a corporate body with perpetual succession and a common seal and grants it the capacity to sue or be sued and to perform acts lawful for bodies corporate, subject to the Act.

The council shall perform listed functions including supervision of education and practice, enforcing ethics and discipline, protecting the public, advising Government, exercising powers under law, disseminating ethics, and performing other functions as directed by the Minister.

Specifies the council's composition and membership rules: who is appointed, the registrar's role (may participate but cannot vote), members' three-year term and reappointment eligibility, resignation process, Minister's powers to remove, appoint replacements and appoint temporary acting members.

Meetings of the council are as provided in the First Schedule; the Minister may, by statutory instrument, amend the First Schedule.

The council may employ other officers and employees as necessary, may regulate their appointment and service with the Minister's approval, and public officers may be seconded or assist the council.

The council must have a secretariat; the secretariat must perform specified functions including implementing council decisions, recommending and implementing policies, establishing relationships with organisations, and carrying out other functions as directed by the council.

The registrar of the council is a public officer to be appointed by the Health Service Commission from among registered practitioners.

The registrar must carry out the functions listed (maintain and correct registers; reinstate names; inspect units; custody of seal; record minutes; administer council funds and staff) and submit reports, including an annual report within three months after each financial year.

The council must have a deputy registrar appointed in the same manner as the registrar; the deputy registrar must perform duties assigned by the registrar and deputise for the registrar, performing the registrar's duties in their absence.

The provision defines sources that make up the council's funds and requires the council to operate a bank account.

The council's financial year for each accounting period is the twelve months ending on the 30th day of June.

The council must, within three months before the end of each financial year, cause estimates of income and expenditure for the next financial year to be prepared and submitted to the Minister for approval.

The council must prepare, after each financial year and within three months of its close, a statement of account including a performance report (with a balance sheet and income and expenditure statement) and keep proper books and records.

The council must submit annual statements to the Auditor General within four months after each financial year; the Auditor General (or appointed auditor) may access records and must audit and deliver audited accounts and a report within two months of receipt.

The Minister must submit to Parliament, within three months of receiving them, the council's audited accounts (submitted by the Auditor General under section 15) and the council's annual activities report.

Specifies who is eligible for registration (holders of listed medical/dental qualifications) and requires applicants to show internship experience; council may accept equivalent experience for foreign qualifications; non-citizens with approved qualifications must obtain temporary registration.

The council may recognise non‑Ugandan medical or dental qualifications for registration and must publish recognised qualifications in the Gazette annually between 1 January and 31 March; the council may withdraw recognition and such withdrawal does not affect existing registrations.

The registrar must keep specified registers of practitioners and health units and publish up-to-date registers annually in the Gazette between 1 January and 31 March; the registrar must also publish interim lists as convenient; the Minister may amend the forms on the council's advice.

If a person's qualification is not recognised, they may apply to the council; the council may arrange interviews/examinations, require training or further exams, appoint a committee to assess suitability, and shall authorise registration if satisfied with interview/examination results or conditions.

Qualified persons may apply to the council for registration; the council must, if satisfied of eligibility, authorise the registrar to enter the person's name on the register; the registrar must not register someone removed from a similar foreign register for misconduct without further inquiry.

When a medical or dental practitioner is registered, the registrar must issue that person a certificate of registration, sealed with the council's seal and in Forms A1 to A4 in the Third Schedule.

A person who only lacks the required experience (under section 17(2)) may apply to the council for provisional registration; provisional registration ends when the provisionally registered medical or dental practitioner is fully registered.

Persons registered or provisionally registered as medical or dental practitioners are permitted to practise their respective professions.

The council may, after inquiry, remove from the medical or dental register the name of any registered or provisionally registered person for specified grounds (conviction for an offence involving moral turpitude; professional misconduct; removal from another country's register; suspension).

The council may reinstate a removed name on the register (on its own motion or on application and after inquiry) on payment of a fee; if reinstated the council may restore lapsed registrations and may impose supervision or other conditions.

A person shall not engage in private practice without holding a practising licence issued under this Act.

Registered medical or dental practitioners may apply to the council for licences to engage in private practice; applications must include a copy of the registration certificate; the council may grant licences if satisfied of qualifications, and certain independent full-time private practice requires at least three years' post-registration experience; licences are valid for a calendar year and renewable annually; aggrieved persons may appeal to the Minister within thirty days.

People or bodies intending to open a private health unit must apply to the council for registration; the council may authorise registration after inquiry and receipt of a fee; the registrar may register certain dispensaries or maternity homes subject to council discretion and supervision conditions; public health units and units established twenty or more years are exempt from the prescribed fee; the Minister must prescribe the registration period for existing units after commencement.

The council must publish in the Gazette certain particulars of a health unit soon after registration is authorised and a licence is issued.

No person may operate a private health unit or consulting room registered under the Act unless a registered medical or dental practitioner is in attendance to personally supervise; a health unit may operate without such a practitioner only to make appointments or provide dressing and follow-up treatments; medical or dental practitioners must not stockpile, retail or wholesale drugs at their health unit except with a special licence or permission.

The registrar or an authorised medical or dental practitioner must enter and inspect any health unit to certify compliance, with law enforcement assistance if necessary.

The council must hold an inquiry when it receives an allegation that, if proved, would amount to professional misconduct by a registered practitioner.

Sets procedures for inquiry: the registrar must convene the council (in consultation with the chairperson); notices must be given; the person subject to inquiry has a right to be present and represented; the council may proceed in absence, compel witnesses and documents, and regulate its own procedure.

The council may appoint an advocate (who must have practised for at least six years) to assist and advise on legal questions; the council must inform the person under inquiry or their advocate of advice if proceedings occur in their absence and must inform them during the inquiry if it does not accept the advocate's advice.

The registrar must notify the person concerned in writing of the decision of the council within thirty days after the conclusion of an inquiry.

The council may direct the publication of a report and the decision of any inquiry held by it, in a manner that it deems fit.

A person aggrieved by a council decision in an inquiry may appeal to the High Court within ninety days of notification; the High Court may confirm, annul or vary the decision; the Chief Justice may make rules regulating such appeals.

The council may appoint committees; a committee must deliberate on matters assigned to it and make recommendations to the council.

A person registered under the Act who acquires council‑approved additional qualifications may have those qualifications entered in the register on payment of a prescribed fee.

Publication of the lists in the Gazette is prima facie evidence that names shown are registered, listed health units are registered, and absence from the list indicates non-registration; a registrar-certified extract is admissible in court.

Registered medical or dental practitioners may demand reasonable charges for specified medical, surgical or dental services and supplies; persons not registered under the Act shall not demand those charges.

Authorised persons may provide medical or dental treatment in Government medical institutions after appropriate training; they are prohibited from using unauthorised drugs/instruments/appliances and from charging fees for treatment.

Practitioners in active practice must undergo minimum continuing medical or dental education organised by the council; the council may delegate organisation to certain associations and may recognise foreign continuing education. Failure to comply is a ground for disciplinary action.

District or area chief administrative officers must notify the registrar in writing when they receive a report of the death of any registered or provisionally registered medical or dental practitioner.

The Minister may, on the recommendation of the council, make regulations for carrying out this Act and may prescribe fees, forms and amend the Schedules.

Persons summoned by the council commit offences if they fail to attend as a witness, produce required books or documents, answer questions, or if they falsely claim medical qualifications, practise without registration, procure registration by fraud, or contravene other provisions of the Act.