KIU, Western Campus – KIU Western Campus finalist students pursuing various disciplines in Health Sciences have today, October 5 resumed classes after undergoing training on adherence to the Ministry of Health Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to stem the prevention of COVID-19.

The students underwent the training last week after reporting to the university on September 28. The training was facilitated by officials from the Bushenyi district COVID-19 task force. 

Some of the measures they were trained about included wearing a face mask at all times, washing hands regularly while entering and leaving the university premises, observing social distancing and all hygiene procedures.

They were also taught on case definition to help them easily identify COVID-19 suspects and also to always subject themselves to registration while entering their classes for easy contact tracing.

Annet Kabanyoro, the Dean of the School of Nursing Health Sciences says that staff from the school trained students on the SOPs and they are adhering under strict monitoring.

“The students have reported well and they are complying with the SOPs. We warned them that if any student is caught breaching the SOPs, we shall put them under mandatory quarantine for 14 days,” Kabanyoro said.

She added that security was helping in ensuring that the students comply under the watchful eye of supervisors placed at strategic points of the university and hospital.

During the COVID-19 task force meeting for the university last week, the Executive Director for KIU Teaching Hospital, Prof Robinson Ssebuufu urged lecturers to ensure that students follow all SOPs or risk having the university being closed again in case they register a positive COVID-19 case.

“Lecturers should be strict and make sure students observe all the SOPs because many are coming from hotspots like Kampala and the border districts yet many are asymptomatic and can transmit the disease,” Prof Ssebuufu said.

“If we are not vigilant enough and we get a positive case, we shall be locked down again as an institution,” he warned.