LIRA UNIVERSITY SET TO REOPEN FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS ON FRIDAY
By Patrick Opio
(SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER/LIRA UNIVERSITY)
Following the National Council for Higher Education(NCHE) guidance on reopening medical institutions, Lira University is set to receive its students pursuing Health programmes on Friday 13th, August 2021.
At the Deans and Directors Committee meeting today (Wednesday 11th August 2021), it was resolved that 4th and third year students from Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences should report at Campus on Friday this week for practical lectures and examinations.
The Committee chaired by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Professor Okaka Opio Dokotum, agreed that students will spend first week for vaccination against Corvid-19 and preparations for 1st Semester examinations before starting 2nd Semester lectures.
They added that students and teaching staff be given priority to vaccinate against the pandemic as the Task Force do thorough preparations to put in all personal protective Equipment (PPEs) against Covid 19 scourge.
The Committee added that the medical students will then be placed at Lira Teaching Hospital and other Health facilities from across the region to attain clinical experience, and be part of the health team in the field in fight against the pandemic.
They further resolved that the rest of the medical students shall join in a staggered manner, with a maximum of 33% of the learners at the university, at any one time, at a date to be communicated later. The Committee agreed that lecturers and staff will be vaccinated on arrival the university and ensure they carry masks.
Post-Graduate students doing Master in Public Health are also to join the university for face to face sessions. The rest of the students including non-medical will continue with online teaching.
The committee further agreed that all teaching rooms, halls and accommodation facilities be stocked with sanitizers and handwashing facilities. They urged teaching staff to go for vaccination when vaccines are available, adding that students will procure their own medical masks.
The University team added that compliance of SOPs for control and prevention of Covidf-19 will be enforced in all hostels and university environments including eating houses and restaurants.
The university team noted that Covid-19 testing will be premised on symptoms, and largely based on rapid antigen testing.
The Committee members included Academic Registrar, Geoffrey Angella, Assoc. Prof. J.C Enon, Dean of Education Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Edward Komukech, Dean of Health Sciences, Dr. Otim Tom, Dean of Faculty of Medicines, Mrs Emma Aceng, Dean of Students and Dr Omech, Director Post-Graduate Studies.
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